I 


THE 

GREEN 

GODDESS 

h 

(VILLI AM  ARCHER 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

RIVERSIDE 


THE  GREEN 
GODDESS 


THE  ART  THEATER 

BY  SHELDON  CHENEY 

With   Sixteen    Illustrations 

"This  is  the  best  book  to  recommend 
to  those  who  want  to  know  what 
progress  has  been  made  with  an  art 
theater  in  America." — Harry  Hansen 
in   the    Chicago    Daily   Neius. 


THE    GREEN    GODDESS 


A  PLAY  IN  FOUR  ACTS 


WILLIAM    ARCHER 


I 


NEW  YORK 

ALFRED  •  A.  KNOPF 

1926 


COPYRIGHT,  1920,  1921,  By  WILLIAM  ARCHER 
Third  printing 


l\nr  Tv-  7  a 


AW  rights  reserved  under  the  Internationa!  Copyright 
Act.  Performance  forbidden  and  right  of  representation 
reserved.  Application  for  the  right  of  performing  this 
play  must  be  made  to  Winthrop  Ames,  244  West  Forty- 
fourth  Street,  New  York. 


MANUFACTURED  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES   OP  AMERICA 


I  dedicate  this  play 
To   WINTHROP    AMES 
)  To  whom  it  owes 

^  so   much 


"The  Green  Goddess"  was  first  acted  in  Philadelphia,  on  the 
occasion  of  the  opening  of  the  reconstructed  Walnut  Street 
Theatre,  27  December,  1920.  It  was  produced  in  New  York,  at 
the  Booth  Theatre,  18  January,  192 1,  with  the  following  cast 
(practically  the  same  as  in  Philadelphia): 

The  Raja     George  Arliss 

Watkins    Ivan  F.  Simfson 

Major   Crespin    Herbert  Waring 

LuciLLA     Olive  Wyndham 

Dr.  Traherne   Cyril  Keightley 

Lieut.   Cardew    Herbert  Ranson 

The  High  Priest   David   A .    Leonard 

The  Temple   Priest    Ronald  Colman 

An  Ayah _.. _ Helen  Nowell 


persons    of   the    play 

The  Raja  of  Rukh  (40) 
Watkins,  his  valet  (35) 
Major  Antony  Crespin,  (40) 
LuciLLA,  his  wife  (28) 
Doctor  Basil  Traherne   (35) 
Lieutenant  Denis  Cardew  (23) 

Priests,  villagers,  regular  and  irregular  troops,  servants  and  an  un- 
seen multitude. 
Scene:     A  remote  region  at  the  back  of  the  Himalayas. 


THE  GREEN 
GODDESS 


THE   GREEN    GODDESS 

ACT  FIRST 

A  region  of  gaunt  and  ahnost  treeless  mountainSy  uni- 
formly grey  in  tone^  except  in  so  far  as  the  atmos- 
phere lends  them  colour.  Clinging  to  the  mountain 
wall  in  the  background,  at  an  af -parent  distance  of 
about  a  milej  is  a  vast  barbaric  palace y  with  long 
stretches  of  unbroken  masonry y  crowned  by  arcades 
and  turrets. 

The  foreground  consists  of  a  small  level  space  between 
two  masses  of  rock.  In  the  rock  on  the  right  *  a 
cave-temple  has  been  roughly  hewn.  Two  thick  and 
rudely-carved  pillars  divide  it  into  three  sections.  Be- 
tween the  pillarSy  in  the  middle  sectiony  can  be  seen 
the  seated  figure  of  a  six-armed  GoddesSy  of  forbid- 
ding aspect y  coloured  dark  green.  In  front  of  the  fig- 
ure is  a  low  altar  with  five  or  six  newly-severed  heads 
of  goats  lying  at  its  base.  The  temple  is  decorated 
with  untidy  and  mouldering  wreaths  and  other  floral 
offerings. 

The  open  space  between  the  two  rock  masses  forms  a 
rudely-paved  forecourt  to  the  temple.  It  is  bordered 
by  smaller  idols  and  three  or  four  round-headed  stone 
postSy  painted  green. 

Mountain  paths  wind  off  behind  the  rocks y  and  through 
the  low  shrubsy  both  to  right  and  left. 

•  From  the  point  of  view  of  the  audience. 

I 


2  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  I 

Projecting  over  the  rock-mass  on  the  left  can  he  seen 
the  wing  of  an  aeroflane^  the  nacelle  and  under- 
carriage hidden.  It  has  evidently  just  tnade  a  rather 
disastrous  forced  landing. 

The  -pilot  and  two  passengers  are  in  the  act  of  extricat- 
ing the7nselves  from  the  wrecky  and  clambering  down 
the  cliff.  The  pilot  is  Dr.  Basil  Traherne  j  the  pas- 
sengers are  Major  Antony  Crespin  and  his  wife 
LuciLLA.  Traherne  (35)  is  a  well  set-up  man^  vig- 
orous and  in  good  training.  Crespin  (40),  somewhat 
heavy  and  dissipated-looking^  is  in  khaki.  Lucilla 
(28)  is  a  tally  slight y  athletic  woman^  wearing  a  tailor- 
m^ade  tweed  suit.  All  three  on  their  first  appearance 
wear  aviation  helmets  and  leather  coats.  The  coats 
they  take  off  as  occasion  offers. 

Their  proceedings  are  watched  with  wonder  and  fear  by 
a  group  of  dark  and  rudely-clad  natives y  rather  Mon- 
golian in  feature.  They  chatter  eagerly  among  them- 
selves. A  tnan  of  higher  stature  and  m^ore  Aryan 
typsy  the  Priest  of  the  temple y  seems  to  have  some 
authority  over  them. 

As  soon  as  all  three  newcomers  have  descendedy  the 
Priest  gives  some  directions  to  a  young  man  among 
the  bystanders,  who  makes  off  at  great  speed.  He  is 
a  messenger  to  the  castle. 

LUCILLA.  \To  Crespin,  who  is  at  a  difficult  pointy  and 
about  to  jump.\  Take  care,  Antony!  Let  Dr.  Tra- 
herne give  you  a  hand. 

traherne.  \  Already  on  the  ground.\  Yes. 

crespin.  Hang  it  all,  Pm  not  such  a  crock  as  all  that. 
[Jumps  heavily y  but  safely.^ 

traherne.  Are  you  all  right,  Mrs.  Crespin?  Not  very 
much  shaken? 

LUCILLA.  Not  a  bit. 


Act  I  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  3 

TRAHERNE.  It  was  a  nasty  bump. 

LuciLLA.  You  managed  splendidly. 

CREspiN.  Come  on,  Lu — sit  on  that  ledge,  and  I  can 

swing  you  down. 
TRAHERNE.  Let  me — 

[Crespin  and  Traherne  suffort  her  as  she 
jumps  lightly  to  the  ground.  ] 
LUCILLA.  Thank  you. 

CRESPIN.  That  last  ten  minutes  was  pretty  trying.  I  don't 

mind  owning  that  my  nerves  are  all  of  a  twitter. 

[Producing  a  -pocket  flask y  and  pouring  some  of  its 

contents  into  the  cup.]  Have  a  mouthful,  Traherne? 

TRAHERNE.  No,  thank  you. 

CRESPIN.  [To  LuciLLA.]  You  won't,  I  know.  I  will. 
[Drinks  off  the  brandy ^  then  pours  and  drinks  again.] 
That's  better! — And  now — where  are  we,  Doctor? 
TRAHERNE.  I  have  no  notion. 
CRESPIN.  Let's  ask  the  populace. 

[The  natives  have  been  standing  at  some  dis- 
tancej  awe-struck,  but  chattering  eagerly  am^ong 
themselves.  The  Priest,  intently  watching,  is  si- 
lent. Crespin  advances  towards  him,  the  natives 
meanwhile  shrinking  back  in  fear.  The  Priest 
salaams  slightly  and  almost  contemptuously .  Cres- 
pin addresses  him  in  Hindustani,  which  he  evi- 
dently does  not  understand.  He  in  turn  pours  forth 
a  speech  of  some  length,  pointing  to  the  temple 
and  the  palace.  Crespin  can  make  nothing  of  it. 
While  this  is  proceeding: 
traherne.   [In  a  low  voice,  to  Lucilla.]  You  were 

splendid,  all  through! 
lucilla.  I  had  perfect  faith  in  y  o  u  . 
traherne.  If  I'd  had  another  pint  of  petrol,  I  might 


4  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  I 

have  headed  for  that  sort  of  esplanade  behind  the 

castle — 
LuciLLA.  Yes,  I  saw  it. 
TRAHERNE.  — and  made  an  easy  landing.  But  I  simply 

h  a  d  to  try  for  this  place,  and  trust  to  luck. 
LUCILLA.  It  wasn't  luck,  but  your  skill,  that  saved  us. 
TRAHERNE.  You  are  very  good  to  me. 
CRESPiN.  [  Turning.]  It's  no  use — he  doesn't  understand 

a  word  of  Hindustani.  You  know  Russian,  don't  you. 

Doctor? 

TRAHERNE.  A  little. 

CRESPIN.  We  must  be  well  on  towards  Central  Asia. 
Suppose  you  try  him  in  Russian.  Ask  him  where  the 
hell  we  are,  and  who  owns  the  shooting-box  up  yon- 
der. [Traherne  says  something  to  the  Priest  in 
Russian.] 

THE  PRIEST.  [His  face  lighting  wpy  'points  to  the  earthy 
and  then  snakes  an  enveloping  gesture  to  signify  the 
whole  country y  saying:]  Rukh,  Rukh,  Rukh,  Rukh. 

CRESPIN.  What  the  deuce  is  he  Rooking  about? 

TRAHERNE.  Goodncss  knows. 

LUCILLA.  I  believe  I  know.  Wait  a  minute.  [Feeling  in 
her  pockets.]  I  thought  I  had  the  paper  with  me.  I 
read  in  the  header y  just  before  we  started,  that  the 
three  men  who  murdered  the  Political  Officer  at  Ab- 
dulabad  came  from  a  wild  region  at  the  back  of  the 
Himalayas,  called  Rukh. 

TRAHERNE.  Now  that  you  mention  it,  I  h  a  v  e  heard  of 
the  place.  \He  turns  to  tJie  Priest  and  says  a  few 
more  words  in  Russiany  pointing  to  the  palace.  The 
Priest  replies  "Raja  Sahib"  several  times  over.] 

CRESPIN.  Oh,  it's  Windsor  Castle,  is  it?  Well,  we'd  bet- 
ter make  tracks  for  it.  Come,  Lucilla,  [The  Priest, 
much  excitedy  stops  his  wayy  pouring  forth  a  stream 


Act  I  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  5 

of  unintelligible  language.  Traherne  says  something 
to  him  in  Russian,  whereu-pon  he  -pauses  and  then  says 
two  or  three  words,  slowly  and  with  difficulty — one 
of  them  "Raja."} 

TRAHERNE.  His  Russian  is  even  more  limited  than 
mine  J  but  I  gather  that  the  Raja  has  been  sent  for 
and  will  -come  here. 

CRESPIN.  [Lighting  a  cigarette.}  All  right — then  we'd 
better  await  developments.  [Seats  himself  on  a  green- 
painted  stone.  As  the  Priest  sees  this,  he  makes  a 
rushy  hustles  Crespin  off,  with  wild  exclamations,  and 
then,  disregarding  him,  m^akes  propitiatory  gestures, 
and  mutters  formulas  of  deprecation,  to  the  stone.} 

CRESPIN.  [Very  angry, -lays  his  hand  on  his  revolver- 
case.}  Confound  you,  take  care  what  you're  doing! 
You'd  better  treat  us  civilly,  or — 

TRAHERNE.  [Laying  a  hand  on  his  arm.}  Gently,  gently, 
Major.  This  is  evidently  some  sort  of  sacred  enclos- 
ure, and  you  were  sitting  on  one  of  the  gods. 

CRESPIN.  Well,  damn  him,  he  might  have  told  me — 

TRAHERNE.  If  he  had  you  wouldn't  have  understood. 
The  fellow  seems  to  be  the  priest — you  see,  he's 
begging  the  god's  pardon. 

CRESPIN.  If  I  knew  his  confounded  lingo  I'd  jolly  well 
make  him  beg  mine. 

TRAHERNE.  We'd  better  be  careful  not  to  tread  on  their 
corns.  We  have  Mrs.  Crespin  to  think  of. 

CRESPIN.  Damn  it,  sir,  do  you  think  I  don't  know  how 
to  take  care  of  my  own  wife? 

TRAHERNE.  I  think  you're  a  little  hasty.  Major — that's 
all.  These  are  evidently  queer  people,  and  we're  de- 
pendent on  them  to  get  us  out  of  our  hobble. 

LuciLLA.  [Down,  left.}  Do  you  think  I  could  sit  on 
this  stone  without  giving  offence  to  the  deities? 


6  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  I 

TRAHERNE.  Oh,  yes,  that  seems  safe  enough.    [After 

LuciLLA  is  seated.]  I  don't  know  how  to  apologize 

for  having  got  you  into  this  mess. 
LUCILLA.  Don't  talk  nonsense,  Dr.  Traherne.  Who  can 

foresee  a  Himalayan  fog? 
TRAHERNE.  The  Only  thing  to  do  was  to  get  above  It, 

and  then,  of  course,  my  bearings  were  gone. 
LUCILLA.  Now  that  we're  safe,  I  should  think  it  all  great 

fun  if  it  weren't  for  the  children. 
CRESPiN.  Oh,  they  don't  expect  us  for  a  week,  and  surely 

it  won't  take  us  more  than  that  to  get  back  to  civili- 
zation. 
TRAHERNE.  Or,  at  all  events,  to  a  telegraph  line. 
LUCILLA.  I  suppose  there's  no  chance  of  flying  back? 
TRAHERNE.  Not  the  slightest,  I'm  afraid.  I  fancy  the 

old  'bus  is  done  for. 
LUCILLA.  Oh,  Dr.  Traherne,  what  a  shame!  And  you'd 

only  had  it  a  few  weeks! 
TRAHERNE.  What  does  it  matter  so  long  as  y  o  u  are 

safe? 
LUCILLA.  What  does  it  matter  so  long  as  we're  all 

safe? 
CRESPIN.  That's  not  what  Traherne  said.  Why  pretend 

to  be  blind  to  his — chivalry? 
TRAHERNE.   [Trying  to  laugh  it  off.]   Of  course  I'm 

glad  you're  all  right.  Major,  and  I'm  not  sorry  to  be 

in  a  whole  skin  myself.  But  ladies  first,  you  know. 
CRESPIN.  The  perfect  knight  errant,  in  fact! 
TRAHERNE.  Dccidcdly  "errant."  I  couldn't  well  have 

gone  more  completely  astray. 
LUCILLA.  Won't  you  look  at  the  machine  and  see  if  it's 

quite  hopeless? 
TRAHERNE.  Yes,  at  oncc.  [He  goes  towards  the  wreck 

of  the  aero-plane  and  -passes  out  of  sight.  The  popu- 


Act  I  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  7 

lace  clustered  in  and  around  the  temple  on  the  right 
are  intent  upon  the  marvel  of  the  aeroplaney  hut  the 
Priest  fixes  his  gaze  upon  Crespin  and  Lucilla.] 

CRESPiN.  \Sits  beside  Lucilla  on  the  stone. \  Well, 
Lucilla! 

LUCILLA.  Well? 

CRESPIN.  That  was  a  narrow  squeak. 

LUCILLA.  Yes,  I  suppose  so. 

CRESPIN.  All's  well  that  ends  well,  eh? 

LUCILLA.  Of  course. 

CRESPIN.  You  don't  seem  very  grateful  to  Providence. 

LUCILLA.  For  sending  the  fog? 

CRESPIN.  For  getting  us  down  safely — all  three. 

LUCILLA.  It  was  Dr.  Traherne's  nerve  that  did  that. 
If  he  hadn't  kept  his  head — 

CRESPIN.  We  should  have  crashed.  One  or  other  of  us 
would  probably  have  broken  his  neckj  and  if  Prov- 
idence had  played  up,  it  might  have  been  the  right 
one. 

LUCILLA.  What  do  you  mean? 

CRESPIN.  It  might  have  been  me.  Then  you'd  have 
thanked  God,  right  enough! 

LUCILLA.  Why  will  you  talk  like  this,  Antony?  If  I 
hadn't  sent  Dr.  Traherne  away  just  now,  you'd  have 
been  saying  these  things  in  his  hearing. 

CRESPIN.  Well,  why  not?  He's  quite  one  of  the  family! 
Don't  tell  me  he  doesn't  know  all  about  the  "state  of 
our  relations,"  as  they  say  in  the  divorce  court. 

LUCILLA.  If  he  does,  it's  not  from  me.  No  doubt  he 
knows  what  the  whole  station  knows. 

CRESPIN.  And  what  does  the  whole  station  know?  Why, 
that  your  deadly  coldness  drives  me  to  drink.  I've 
lived  for  three  years  in  an  infernal  clammy  fog  like 
that  we  passed  through.  Who's  to  blame  if  I  take  a 


8  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  I 

whiskey-peg  now  and  then,  to  keep  the  chill  out? 

LuciLLA.  Oh,  Antony,  why  go  over  it  all  again?  You 
know  very  well  it  was  drink — and  other  things — that 
came  between  us;  not  my  coldness,  as  you  call  it,  that 
drove  you  to  drink. 

CRESPiN.  Oh,  you  good  women!  You  patter  after  the 
parson  "Forgive  us  as  we  forgive  those  that  trespass 
against  us."  But  you  don't  know  what  forgiveness 
means. 

LUCILLA.  What's  the  use  of  it,  Antony?  Forgive?  I 
have  "forgiven"  you.  I  don't  try  to  take  the  chil- 
dren from  you,  though  it  might  be  better  for  them  if 
I  did.  But  to  forgive  is  one  thing,  to  forget  another. 
When  a  woman  has  seen  a  man  behave  as  you  have 
behaved,  do  you  think  it  is  possible  for  her  to  for- 
get it,  and  to  love  him  afresh?  There  are  women  in 
novels,  and  perhaps  in  the  slums,  who  have  such 
short  memories;  but  I  am  not  one  of  them. 

CRESPIN.  No,  by  God,  you're  not!  So  a  man's  whole 
life  is  to  be  ruined — 

LUCILLA.  Do  you  think  yours  is  the  only  life  to  be 
ruined? 

CRESPIN.  Ah,  there  we  have  it!  I've  not  only  ofFended 
your  sensibilities;  I  am  in  your  way.  You  love  this 
other  man,  this  model  of  all  the  virtues! 

LUCILLA.  You  have  no  right  to  say  that. 

CRESPIN.  [Disregarding  her  p'otesL]  He's  a  paragon. 
He's  a  wonder.  He's  a  mighty  microbe-killer  before 
the  Lord;  he's  going  to  work  Heaven  knows  what 
miracles,  only  he  hasn't  brought  them  off  yet.  And 
you're  cursing  the  mistake  you  made  in  marrying 
a  poor  devil  of  a  soldier-man  instead  of  a  first- 
class  scientific  genius.  Come!  Make  a  clean  breast 
of  it!  You  may  as  well! 


Act  I  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  9 

LuciLLA.  I  have  nothing  to  answer.  While  I  continue 
to  live  with  you,  I  owe  you  an  account  of  my  ac- 
tions— but  not  of  my  thoughts. 

CRESPiN.  Your  actions?  Oh,  I  know  very  well  you're 
too  cold — too  damned  respectable — to  kick  over  the 
traces.  And  then  you  have  the  children  to  think  of. 

LUCILLA.  Yesj  I  have  the  children.  .  . 

CRESPIN.  Besides,  there's  no  hurry.  If  you  only  have 
patience  for  a  year  or  two,  I'll  do  the  right  thing 
for  once,  and  drink  myself  to  death. 

LUCILLA.  You  have  only  to  keep  yourself  a  little  in 
hand  to  live  to  what  they  call  "a  good  old  age." 

CRESPIN.  'Pon  my  soul,  I've  a  mind  to  try  to,  though 
goodness  knows  my  life  is  not  worth  living.  I  was 
a  fool  to  come  on  this  crazy  expedition — 

LUCILLA.  Why,  it  was  you  yourself  that  jumped  at 
Dr.  Traherne's  proposal. 

CRESPIN.  I  thought  we'd  get  to  the  kiddies  a  week 
earlier.  They'd  be  glad  to  see  me,  poor  little 
things.  They  don't  despise  their  daddy. 

LUCILLA.  It  shan't  be  my  fault,  Antony,  if  they  ever 
do.  But  you  don't  make  it  easy  to  keep  up  appear- 
ances. 

CRESPIN.  Oh,  Lu,  Lu,  if  you  would  treat  me  like  a 
human  being — if  you  would  help  me  and  make  life 
tolerable  for  me,  instead  of  a  thing  that  won't  bear 
looking  at  except  through  the  haze  of  drink — we 
might  retrieve  the  early  days.  God  knows  I  never 
cared  two  pins  for  any  woman  but  you — 

LUCILLA.  No,  the  others,  I  suppose,  only  helped  you, 
like  whiskey,  to  see  the  world  through  a  haze.  / 
saw  the  world  through  a  haze  when  I  married  you; 
but  you  have  dispelled  it  once  for  all.  Don't  force 
me  to  tell  you  how  impossible  it  is  for  me  to  be 


lo  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  I 

your  wife  again.  I  am  the  mother  of  your  children 
— that  gives  you  a  terrible  hold  over  me.  Be  con- 
tent with  that. 

TRAHERNE.  [Still  UHseerij  calls:]  Oh,  Mrs.  Crespin! 
[He  appears,  clambering  down  from  the  aeroplane.] 
IVe  found  in  the  wreck  the  newspaper  you  spoke 
of — you  were  right  about  Rukh. 

CRESPIN.  [As  Traherne  comes  forward.]  What  does 
it  say? 

TRAHERNE.  [Reads.]  "Abdulabad,  Tuesday.  Sentence 
of  death  has  been  passed  on  the  three  men  found 
guilty  of  the  murder  of  Mr.  Haredale.  It  appears 
that  these  miscreants  are  natives  of  Rukh,  a  small 
and  little-known  independent  state  among  the  north- 
ern spurs  of  the  Himalayas." 

LuciLLA.  Yes,  that's  what  I  read. 

TRAHERNE.  This  ncws  isn't  the  best  possible  passport 
for  us  in  our  present  situation. 

LUCILLA.  But  if  we're  hundreds  of  miles  from  any- 
where, it  can't  be  known  here  yet. 

CRESPIN.  [Lighting  a  cigarette.]  In  any  case,  they 
wouldn't  dare  to  molest  us. 

TRAHERNE.  All  the  Same  it  might  be  safest  to  burn 
this  paragraph  in  case  there's  anybody  here  that  can 
read  it.  [He  tears  a  strip  out  of  the  paper y  lights 
it  at  Crespin's  match,  watches  it  hum  till  he  has  to 
drop  the  flaming  remnant  of  it,  up07i  which  he 
stamps.  LuciLLA  takes  the  rest  of  the  small  local 
paper  and  lays  it  beside  her  leather  coat  on  the  stone, 
left.  The  Priest  intently  watches  all  these  proceed- 
ings.] 

[Meanwhile  strange  ululations,  mingled  with 
the  throb  of  tom-toms  and  the  clash  of  cymbals. 


Act  I  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  ii 

have  made  themselves  faintly   heard  from  the 
direction  of  the  mountain  fathj  right.] 

CRESPiN.  Hallo!  What's  this? 

TRAHERNE.  Sounds  like  the  march  of  the  Great  Pan- 
jandrum. 

[The  sounds  rapidly  a-p-proach.  The  natives  all 
run  to  the  point  where  the  path  debouches  on  the 
open  space.  They  prostrate  themselves^  some  on 
each  side  of  the  way.  A  wild  procession  comes 
down  the  mountain  path.  It  is  headed  by  a 
gigantic  negro  flourishing  two  naked  sabreSy  and 
gyrating  in  a  barbaric  war-dance.  Then  come  half 
a  dozen  musicians  with  tom-toms  and  cymbals. 
Then  a  litter  carried  by  four  bearers.  Through  its 
gauze  curtains  the  figure  of  the  Raja  can  be  in- 
distinctly seen.  Immediately  behind  the  litter 
comes  Watkins,  an  English  valetj  detnure  and 
correct y  looking  as  if  he  had  just  strolled  in  from 
St.  James  Street.  The  procession  closes  with  a 
number  of  the  Raja's  bodyguard^  in  the  most 
fantasticy  parti-coloured  attirey  and  armed  with 
antique  match-locksy  some  of  them  with  barrels 
six  or  seven  feet  long.  The  Raja's  Utter  is  set 
down  in  front  of  the  temple.  Watkins  opens  the 
curtains  and  gives  his  arm  to  the  Raja  as  he 
alights.  The  Raja  makes  a  step  towards  the  Eu- 
ropean party  in  silence.  He  is  a  tally  well-built 
man  of  fortyy  dressed  in  the  extreme  of  Easter 7% 
gorgeousness.  Crespin  advances  and  salutes.] 

CRESPIN.  Does  Your  Highness  speak  English? 

raja.  Oh,  yes,  a  little.  [As  a  matter  of  fact  he  speaks 
it  irreproachably .] 

CRESPIN.   [Pulling  himself  together  and  speaking  like 


12  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  I 

a  soldier  and  a  man  of  breeding.^  Then  I  have  to 
apologize  for  our  landnig  uninvited  in  your  territory. 

RAJA.  Uninvited,  but,  I  assure  you,  not  unwelcome. 

CRESPiN.  We  are  given  to  understand  that  this  is  the 
State  of  Rukh. 

RAJA.  The  kingdom  of  Rukh,  Major — if  I  rightly 
read  the  symbols  on  your  cuff. 

CRESPIN.  {Again  salutes.^  Major  Crespin.  Permit  me 
to  introduce  my  wife — 

RAJA.  [With  a  profound  salaam.^  I  am  delighted. 
Madam,  to  welcome  you  to  my  secluded  dominions. 
You  are  the  first  lady  of  your  nation  I  have  had 
the  honour  of  receiving. 

LuciLLA.  Your  Highness  is  very  kind. 

CRESPIN.  And  this  is  Dr.  Basil  Traherne,  whose  aero- 
plane— or  what  is  left  of  it — you  see. 

RAJA.  Doctor  Traherne?  The  Doctor  Traherne,  whose 
name  I  have  so  often  seen  in  the  newspaper?  "The 
Pasteur  of  Malaria." 

TRAHERNE.  The  newspapers  make  too  much  of  my 
work.  It  is  very  incomplete. 

RAJA.  But  you  are  an  aviator  as  well? 

TRAHERNE.  Only  as  an  amateur. 

RAJA.  I  presume  it  is  some  misadventure — a  most  for- 
tunate misadventure  for  me — that  has  carried  you 
so  far  into  the  wilds  of  the  Himalayas? 

TRAHERNE.  Yes — we  got  lost  in  the  clouds.  Major  and 
Mrs.  Crespin  were  coming  up  from  the  plains  to 
see  their  children  at  a  hill  station — 

RAJA.  Pahari,  no  doubt? 

TRAHERNE.  Yes,  Pahari — and  I  was  rash  enough  to 
suggest  that  I  might  save  them  three  days'  travel- 
ling by  taking  them  up  in  my  aeroplane. 

RAJA.  Madam  is  a  sportswoman,  then? 


Act  I  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  13 

LuciLLA.  Oh,  I  have  been  up  many  times. 

CRESPiN.  \With  a  tinge  of  sarcasm.^  Yes,  many  times. 

LUCILLA.  It  was  no  fault  of  Dr.  Traherne's  that  we 
went  astray.  The  weather  was  impossible. 

RAJA.  Well,  you  have  made  a  sensation  here,  I  can 
assure  you.  My  people  have  never  seen  an  aero- 
plane. They  are  not  sure — simple  souls — whether 
you  are  gods  or  demons.  But  the  fact  of  your  hav- 
ing descended  in  the  precincts  of  a  temple  of  our 
local  goddess — [With  a  ivave  of  his  hand  towards 
the  idol.]  allow  me  to  introduce  you  to  her — is  con- 
sidered highly  significant. 

CRESPIN.  I  hope,  sir,  that  we  shall  find  no  difficulty  in 
obtaining  transport  back  to  civ — to  India. 

RAJA.  To  civilization,  you  were  going  to  say?  Why 
hesitate,  my  dear  sir?  We  know  very  well  that  we 
are  barbarians.  We  are  quite  reconciled  to  the  fact. 
We  have  had  some  five  thousand  years  to  accustom 
ourselves  to  it.  This  sword  [Touching  his  scimitar.] 
is  a  barbarous  weapon  compared  with  your  revolver  j 
but  it  was  worn  by  my  ancestors  when  yours  were 
daubing  themselves  blue  and  picking  up  a  precarious 
livelihood  in  the  woods.  [Breaking  off  hastily  to 
fr event  any  re-ply.]  But  Madam  is  standing  all  this 
time!  Watkins,  what  are  you  thinking  of?  Some 
cushions.  [Watkins  files  some  cushions  from  the 
litter  so  as  to  form  a  seat  for  Lucilla.  Meanwhile 
the  Raja  continues.]  Another  litter  for  Madam, 
and  mountain-chairs  for  the  gentlemen,  will  be  here 
in  a  few  minutes.  Then  I  hope  you  will  accept  the 
hospitality  of  my  poor  house. 

LUCILLA.  We  are  giving  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  Your 
Highness. 

RAJA.  A  great  deal  of  pleasure.  Madam. 


14  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  I 

CRESPiN.  But  I  hope,  sir,  there  will  be  no  difficulty 
about  transport  back  to — India. 

RAJA.  Time  enough  to  talk  of  that,  Major,  when  you 
have  rested  and  recuperated  after  your  adventure. 
You  will  do  me  the  honour  of  dining  with  me  this 
evening?  I  trust  you  will  not  find  us  altogether 
uncivilized. 

LuciLLA.  [Lightly.]  Your  Highness  will  have  to  ex- 
cuse the  barbarism  of  our  attire.  We  have  nothing 
to  wear  but  what  we  stand  up  in. 

RAJA.  Oh,  I  think  we  can  put  that  all  right.  Watkins! 

WATKiNs.   [Advancing.]  Your  'Ighness! 

RAJA.  You  are  in  the  confidence  of  our  Mistress  of  the 
Robes.  How  does  our  wardrobe  stand? 

WATKINS.  A  fresh  consignment  of  Paris  models  come 
in  only  last  week,  Your  'Ighness. 

RAJA.  Good!  Then  I  hope,  Madam,  that  you  may  find 
among  them  some  rag  that  you  will  deign  to  wear. 

LUCILLA.  Paris  models.  Your  Highness!  And  you  talk 
of  being  uncivilized! 

RAJA.  We  do  what  we  can.  Madam.  I  sometimes  have 
the  pleasure  of  entertaining  European  ladies — 
though  not,  hitherto.  Englishwomen — in  my  sol- 
itudes j  and  I  like  to  mitigate  the  terrors  of  exile  for 
them.  Then  as  for  civilization,  you  know,  I  have 
always  at  my  elbow  one  of  its  most  finished  products. 
Watkins! 

WATKINS.  [Stepping  forward.]  Your  'Ighness! 

RAJA.  You  will  recognize  in  Watkins,  gentlemen,  an- 
other representative  of  the  Ruling  Race.  [Watkins, 
zvit/i  downcast  eyes,  touches  his  hat  to  Crespin  and 
Traherne.]  I  assure  you  he  rules  me  with  an  iron 
hand — not  always  in  a  velvet  glove.  Eh,  Watkins? 


Act  I  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  15 

WATKiNs.  Your  'Ighness  will  'ave  your  joke. 

RAJA.  He  is  my  Prime  Minister  and  all  my  Cabinet 
— but  more  particularly  my  Lord  Chamberlain.  No 
one  can  touch  him  at  mixing  a  cocktail  or  making  a 
salad.  My  entire  household  trembles  at  his  nodj 
even  my  chef  quails  before  him.  Nothing  comes 
amiss  to  him;  for  he  is,  like  myself,  a  man  without 
prejudices.  You  may  be  surprised  at  my  praising 
him  to  his  face  in  this  fashion;  you  may  foresee 
some  danger  of — what  shall  I  say? — swelled  head. 
But  I  know  my  Watkins;  there  is  not  the  slightest 
risk  of  his  outgrowing  that  modest  bowler.  He  knows 
his  value  to  me,  and  he  knows  that  he  would  never 
be  equally  appreciated  elsewhere.  I  have  guarantees 
for  his  fidelity — eh,  Watkins? 

WATKINS.  I  know  when  I'm  well  off,  if  that's  what 
Your  'Ighness  means. 

RAJA.  I  mean  a  little  more  than  that — but  no  matter. 
I  have  sometimes  thought  of  instituting  a  peerage, 
in  order  that  I  might  raise  Watkins  to  it.  But  I 
mustn't  let  my  admiration  for  British  institutions 
carry  me  too  far. — Those  scoundrels  of  bearers  are 
taking  a  long  time,  Watkins. 

WATKINS.  The  lady's  litter  'ad  to  'ave  fresh  curtains. 
Your  'Ighness.  They  won't  be  a  minute,  now. 

RAJA.  You  were  speaking  of  transport.  Major — is  your 
machine  past  repair.  Dr.  Traherne? 

TRAHERNE.  Utterly,  I'm  afraid. 

RAJA.  Let  us  look  at  it.  [  Turns  and  finds  that  his  body- 
guard are  all  clustered  on  the  fathy  looking  at  it. 
He  gives  a  sharp  word  of  command.  They  scamper 
into  a  sort  of  loose  order y  up,  right.]  Ah,  yes — pro- 
peller smashed — planes  crumpled  up — 


i6  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  I 

TRAHERNE.  Undcr-camage  wrecked — 

RAJA.  I'm  afraid  we  can't  offer  to  repair  the  damage 
for  you. 

TRAHERNE.  I'm  afraid  not,  sir. 

RAJA.  A  wonderful  machine!  Yes,  Europe  has  some- 
thing to  boast  of.  I  wonder  what  the  Priest  here 
thinks  of  it.  [He  says  a  few  words  to  the  Priest, 
who  salaams y  and  re-plies  volubly  at  some  length.\ 
He  says  it  is  the  great  roc — the  giant  bird,  you 
know,  of  our  Eastern  stories.  And  he  declares  that 
he  plainly  saw  his  Goddess  hovering  over  you  as 
you  descended,  and  guiding  you  towards  her  temple. 

TRAHERNE.  I  wish  she  could  have  guided  us  towards 
the  level  ground  I  saw  behind  your  castle.  I  could 
have  made  a  safe  landing  there. 

RAJA.  No  doubt — on  my  parade  ground — almost  the 
only  level  spot  in  my  dominions. 

LuciLLA.  These,  I  suppose,  are  your  bodyguard? 

RAJA.  My  household  troops.  Madam. 

LUCILLA.  How  picturesque  they  are! 

RAJA.  Oh,  a  relic  of  barbarism,  I  know.  I  can  quite 
understand  the  contempt  with  which  my  friend  the 
Major  is  at  this  moment  regarding  them. 

crespin:  Irregular  troops.  Raja.  Often  first-class  fight- 
ing men. 

RAJA.  And  you  think  that,  if  irregularity  is  the  virtue 
of  irregular  troops,  these — what  is  the  expression, 
Watkins? 

WATKiNs.  Tyke  the  cykc.  Your  'Ighness? 

RAJA.  That's  it — take  the  cake — that  is  what  you  are 
thinking? 

CRESPIN.  Well,  they  would  be  hard  to  beat,  sir. 

RAJA.  I  repeat — a  relic  of  barbarism.  You  see,  I  have 
strong  conservative  instincts — I  cling  to  the  fashions 


Act  I  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  17 

of  my  fathers — and  my  people  would  be  restive  if 
I  didn't.  I  maintain  these  fellows,  as  his  Majesty 
the  King-Emperor  keeps  up  the  Beefeaters  in  the 
Tower.  But  I  also  like  to  move  with  the  times,  as 
perhaps  you  will  allow  me  to  show  you.  [He  blows 
two  short  blasts  on  a  silver  whistle  hanging  round 
his  neck.  Instantly  from  behind  every  rock  and 
shrub — frotn  every  bit  of  cover — there  emerges  a 
soldiery  in  s-pick-and-span  European  uniform  {Rus- 
sian in  style) J  a^-med  with  the  latest  brand  of  maga- 
zine rifles.  They  stand  like  statues  at  attention.\ 
CRESPiN.  Good  Lord! 

TRAHERNE.  Hallo! 

RAJA,  yio  LuciLLA,  who  makes  no  move.]  I  trust  I 

did  not  startle  you.  Madam? 
LUCILLA.  Oh,  not  at  all.  I'm  not  nervous. 
RAJA.   You   of   course  realize   that   this   efFect   is   not 

original.  I  have  plagiarized  it  from  the  excellent 

Walter  Scott: 

"These  are  Clan-Alpine's  warriors  true, 
And,  Saxon,  I  am  Roderick  Dhu!" 

But  I  think  you'll  admit.  Major,  that  my  men  know 

how  to  take  cover. 
CRESPIN.  By  the  Lord,  sir,  they  must  move  like  cats — 

for  you  can't  have  planted  them  there  before  we 

arrived. 
RAJA.  No,  you  had  given  me  no  notice  of  your  coming. 
LUCILLA.  Perhaps  the  Goddess  did, 
RAJA.  Not  she,  Madam.  She  keeps  her  own  counsel. 

These  men  followed  me  down  from  the  palace  and 

have  taken  up  position  while  we  have  been  speaking. 

[  The  Raja  gives  a  word  of  command y  and  the  m,en 


i8  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  I 

rabidly  assemble  and  jonn  in  two  ranks,  an  officer 
on  their  jiank.\ 

CRESPiN.  A  very  smart  body  of  men,  Raja.  Allow  me 
to  congratulate  you  on  their  training. 

RAJA.  I  am  greatly  flattered,  Major.  I  superintend 
it  myself. — Ah,  here  comes  the  litter.  {Down  the 
■path  comes  a  litter  borne^  like  the  Rajahs,  by  jour 
men.  It  is  followed  by  two  mountain-chairs  carried 
by  two  men  apiece.]  Permit  me.  Madam,  to  hand  you 
to  your  palanquin.  [He  offers  Lucilla  his  hand. 
As  she  rises  she  picks  up  her  leather  coaty  and  the 
newspaper  jails  to  the  ground.  The  Raja  notices 
it.]  Forgive  me,  Madam.  [Picks  up  the  paper  and 
looks  at  it.]  A  newspaper,  only  two  days  old!  This 
is  such  a  rarity  you  must  allow  me  to  glance  at  it. 
[He  opens  the  paper  and  sees  that  a  strip  has  been 
torn  out  jrom  the  back  page.]  Ah!  the  telegraphic 
news  gone!  What  a  pity!  In  my  seclusion,  I  hunger 
for  tidings  from  the  civilized  world.  [The  Priest 
comes  jorward  and  speaks  to  him  eagerly ^  suggest- 
ing in  pantomifne  Traherne's  action  in  burning 
the  papery  and  pointing  to  the  ashes  on  the  ground, 
at  which  the  Raja  looks.]  You  burned  this  column? 

TRAHERNE.  Unfortunatcly,  I  did. 

raja.  Ah!  [Pause.]  I  know  your  motive.  Dr.  Tra- 
herne,  and  I  appreciate  it.  You  destroyed  it  out  of 
consideration  for  my  feelings,  wishing  to  spare  me 
a  painful  piece  of  intelligence.  That  was  very 
thoughtful — but  quite  unnecessary.  I  already  know 
what  you  tried  to  conceal. 

CRESPIN.  You  know — ! 

TRAHERNE.  Your  Highness  knows — ! 
[Simultaneously.  ] 


Act  I  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  19 

RAJA.  I  know  that  three  of  my  subjects,  accused  of  a 
political  crime,  have  been  sentenced  to  death. 

TRAHERNE.  How  is  it  possible — ? 

RAJA.  Bad  news  flies  fast,  Dr.  Traherne.  But  one  thing 
you  can  perhaps  tell  me — is  there  any  chance  of 
their  sentences  being  remitted? 

TRAHERNE.  I  am  afraid  not,  your  Highness. 

CRESPiN.  Remitted?  I  should  rather  say  not.  It  was  a 
cold-blooded,  unprovoked  murder. 

RAJA.  Unprovoked,  you  think?  Well,  I  won't  argue 
the  point.  And  the  execution  is  to  be — ? 

TRAHERNE.  I  think  tomorrow — or  the  day  after. 

RAJA.  Tomorrow  or  the  day  after — yes.  [Turning  to 
LuciLLA.]  Forgive  me,  Madam — I  have  kept  you 
waiting. 

TRAHERNE.  Does  your  Highness  know  anything  of 
these  men? 

RAJA.  [Over  his  shoulder y  as  he  hands  Lucilla  Into 
the  litter. \  Know  them?  Oh,  yes — they  are  my 
brothers.  \He  seats  himself  on  his  own  litter  and 
claps  his  hands  twice.  Both  litters  are  raised  and 
move  ojfy  Lucilla's  first.  The  regular  soldiers  line 
the  wajy  in  single  rank.  They  salute  as  the  Utters 
pass.  Watkins  follows  the  Raja's.  Crespin  and 
Traherne  seat  themselves  in  their  chairs.  As  they 
do  so:\ 

crespin.  His  brothers?  What  did  he  mean? 

TRAHERNE.  [Shrugging  his  shoulders.^  Heaven  knows! 

CRESPIN.  I  don't  half  like  our  host,  Traherne.  There's 
too  much  of  the  cat  about  him. 

TRAHERNE.  Or  of  the  tiger.  And  how  the  devil  had 
he  got  the  news? 

[As  the  two  chairs  move  offy  Crespin  first y  the 


20  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  I 

two  ranks  of  soldiers  close  round  them.  The 
irregulars  and  musicians^  headed  by  the  dancing 
negro y  bring  up  the  rear.  The  Priest  prostrates 
himself  y  as  if  in  thanks  giving^  before  the  God- 
dess. ] 


CURTAIN 


ACT  SECOND 

A  spacious  and  well-fro-portioned  room,  opening  at  the 
back  upon  a  wide  loggia.  Beyond  the  loggia  can  be 
seen  distant  snow-peaks  and  a  strip  of  sky.  Late 
afternoon  light. 

The  room  is  furnished  in  a  once  splendid  but  now  very 
old-fashioned  and  faded  style.  Furniture  of  black 
picked  out  with  gold,  and  upholstered  in  yellow 
damask,  A  great  crystal  chandelier  in  the  middle 
of  the  ceiling,  and  under  it  a  circular  ottoman. 
Right,  a  large  two-leaved  door;  left,  a  handsome 
marble  fireplace,  with  a  mirror  over  it.  Candlesticks 
with  crystal  pendants  at  each  end  of  the  mantel- 
piece, and  in  the  middle  a  bronze  statuette,  some 
eighteen  inches  high,  representing  the  tnany-armed 
Goddess.  A  wood  fire  laid,  but  unlighted.  Near  the 
fireplace,  two  quite  m^odern  saddle-bag  arfn-chairs, 
out  of  keeping  with  the  stiffness  of  the  remaining 
furniture.  A  small  table  near  the  door,  right,  with 
modern  English  and  French  books  on  it.  A  hand- 
some gramophone  in  the  corner,  right.  On  the  walls, 
left  and  right,  some  very  bad  paintings  of  fine- 
looking  Orientals  in  gorgeous  attire.  Electric  lights. 

Traherne  discovered  at  back,  centre,  looking  out  over 
the  landscape.  He  does  not  go  out  upon  the  loggia 
{which  can  be  entered  both  right  and  left  without 
passing  through  the  roorn)  because  two  turbanned 
servants  are  there,  under  the  direction  of  an  old 

21 


22  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

and  dignified  Major-domOy  arranging  a  luxurious 

dinner  tables  with  four  covers.  Traherne  stands 

motionless  for  a  moment.  Then  enters  Crespin  hy 

the  doory  right ,  ushered  in  hy  a  servant y  who  salaams 

and  retires. 
CRESPIN.  Ah,  there  you  are,  Doctor. 
traherne.  \Turning.\  Hullo!  How  did  you  get  on? 
CRESPIN.  All  right.  Had  a  capital  tub.  And  you? 
TRAHERNE.   Feeling  more  like  a  human  being.  And 

what  about  Mrs.  Crespin?  I  hope  she's  all  right. 
CRESPIN.  She  was  taken  off  by  an  ayah  as  soon  as  we 

got  in — presumably  to  the  women's  quarters. 
TRAHERNE.  And  you  let  her  go  off  alone? 
CRESPIN.  What  the  hell  could  I  do?  I  couldn't  thrust 

myself  into  the  women's  quarters. 
TRAHERNE.  You  could  have  kept  her  with  you. 
CRESPIN.  Do  you  think  she'd  have  stayed?  And,  come 

to  that,  what  business  is  it  of  yours? 
TRAHERNE.  It's  any  man's  business  to  be  concerned  for 

a  woman's  safety. 
CRESPIN.  Well,  well — all  right.  But  there  was  nothing 

I  could  have  done  or  that  she  would  let  me  do.  And 

I  don't  think  there's  any  danger. 
TRAHERNE.  Let  US  hopc  not. 
CRESPIN.  It's  a  vast  shanty  this. 
TRAHERNE.  It's  a  palacc  and  a  fortress  in  one. 
CRESPIN.  A  devilish  strong  place  before  the  days  of 

big  guns.  But  a  couple  of  howitzers  would  soon  make 

it  look  pretty  foolish. 
TRAHERNE.  No  doubtj  but  how  would  you  get  them 

here? 
CRESPIN.  \L.ooking  at  the  dinner  tabic. \  I  say — it  looks 

as  if  our  friend  were  going  to  do  us  well.  \One  of 

the  servants  comes  in  with  a  wine-cooler.  W hen  the 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  23 

man  has  gone^  Crespin  ficks  wp  the  bottle  and  looks 
at  the  label. ^  Perrier  Jouet,  nineteen-o-six,  by  the 
lord!  [//<?  strolls  over  to  the  ottoman,  and  seats 
himself y  facing  the  fir e-f lace. ]^  It's  a  rum  start  this, 
Traherne.  I  suppose  you  intellectual  chaps  would 
call  it  romantic. 

TRAHERNE.  [Examining  the  figure  of  the  Goddess  on 
the  m^antelpece.^  More  romantic  than  agreeable,  I 
should  say.  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  this  lady. 

CRESPIN.  What  is  she? 

TRAHERNE.  The  Same  figure  we  saw  in  the  little  temple, 
where  we  landed. 

CRESPIN.  How  many  arms  has  she  got? 

TRAHERNE.   Six. 

CRESPIN.  She  could  give  you  a  jolly  good  hug,  any- 
way. 

TRAHERNE.  You  wouldn't  Want  another. 

CRESPIN.  Where  do  you  suppose  we  really  are,  Tra- 
herne? 

TRAHERNE.  On  the  map,  you  mean? 

CRESPIN.  Of  course. 

TRAHERNE.  Oh,  in  the  never-never  land.  Somewhere 
on  the  way  to  Bokhara.  I've  been  searching  my 
memory  for  all  I  ever  heard  about  Rukh.  I  fancy 
very  little  is  known,  except  that  it  seems  to  send 
forth  a  peculiarly  poisonous  breed  of  fanatics. 

CRESPIN.  Like  those  who  did  poor  Haredale  in? 

TRAHERNE.  Precisely. 

CRESPIN.  D'you  think  our  host  was  serious  when  he 
said  they  were  his  brothers?  Or  was  he  only  pulling 
our  leg,  curse  his  impudence? 

TRAHERNE.  He  probably  meant  caste-brothers,  or 
simply  men  of  the  same  race.  Butj  even  so,  it's  awk- 
ward. 


24  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

CRESPiN.  I  don't  see  what  these  beggars,  living  at  the 
back  of  the  north  wind,  have  got  to  do  with  Indian 
politics.  We've  never  interfered  with  them. 

TRAHERNE.  Oh,  it's  3.  case  of  Asia  for  the  Asians.  Ever 
since  the  Japanese  beat  the  Russians,  the  whole  con- 
tinent has  been  itching  to  kick  us  out. 

CRESPIN.  So  that  they  may  cut  each  other's  throats  at 
leisure,  eh? 

TRAHERNE.  We  Westemcrs  never  cut  each  other's 
throats,  d  o  wer 

[  Watkins  has  entered  at  the  hacky  right ^  carry- 
ing a  silver  centre-pece  for  the  table.  He  sets  it 
down  and  is  going  out  to  the  lefty  when  Crespin 
catches  sight  of  him  and  hails  him.] 

CRESPIN.  Hallo!  You  there!  What's  your  name! 
[Watkins  stops.]  Just  come  here  a  minute,  will 
you? 

WATKINS.  Meaning  me,  sir?  [He  advances  into  the 
room.  There  is  a  touch  of  covert  insolence  in  his 
manner.  ] 

CRESPIN.  Yes,  you,  Mr. ?  Mr. ? 

WATKINS.  Watkins  is  my  name,  sir. 

CRESPIN.  Right  ho!  Watkins.  Can  you  tell  us  where 
we  are,  Watkins? 

WATKINS.  They  calls  the  place  Rukh,  sir. 

CRESPIN.  Yes,  yes,  we  know  that.  But  where  i  s  Rukh? 

WATKINS.  I  hunderstand  these  mountains  is  called  the 
'Imalayas,  sir. 

CRESPIN.  Damn  it,  sir,  we  don't  want  a  lesson  in  geog- 
raphy! 

WATKINS.  No,  sir?  My  mistake,  sir. 

TRAHERNE.  Major  Crespin  means  that  we  want  to 
know  how  far  we  are  from  the  nearest  point  in 
India. 


Act  II  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  25 

WATKiNs.  I  really  couldn't  say,  sir.  Not  so  very  far,  I 

dessay,  as  the  crow  flies. 
TRAHERNE.  Unfortunately  we're  not  in  a  position  to 

fly  with  the  crow.  How  long  does  the  journey  take? 
WATKINS.  They  tell  me  it  takes  about  three  weeks  to 

Cashmere. 
CRESPiN.  They  tell  you!   Surely  you  must  remember 

how  long  it  took  you? 
WATKINS.  No,  sir,  excuse  me,  sir — I've  never  been  in 

India. 
CRESPIN.  Not  been  in  India?  And  I  was  just  thinking, 

as  I  looked  at  you,  that  I  seemed  to  have  seen  you 

before. 
WATKINS.  Not  in  India,  sir.  We  might  'ave  met  in 

England,   but   I    don't   call   to   mind   having  that 

pleasure. 
CRESPIN.  But  if  you  haven't  been  in  India,  how  the 

hell  did  you  get  here? 
WATKINS.   I  came  with  'Is  'Ighness,  sir,  by  way  of 

Tashkent.  All  our  dealin's  with  Europe  is  by  way 

of  Russia. 
TRAHERNE.  But  it's  possible  to  get  to  India  direct,  and 

not  by  way  of  Central  Asia? 
WATKINS.  Oh,  yes,  it's  done,  sir.  But  I'm  told  there  are 

some  very  tight  places  to  negotiate — like  the  camel 

and  the  needle's  eye,  as  you  might  say. 
TRAHERNE.  Diflicult  travelling  for  a  lady,  eh? 
WATKINS.  Next  door  to  himpossible,  I  should  guess,  sir. 
CRESPIN.  A  nice  look-out,  Traherne!    [To  Watkins.] 

Tell    me,    my    man — is    His    Highness — h'm — 

married? 
WATKINS.  Oh,  yessir — ^very  much  so,  sir. 
CRESPIN.  Children? 
WATKINS.  He  has  fifteen  sons,  sir. 


26  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

CRESPiN.  The  daughters  don't  count,  eh? 

WATKiNs.  I've  never  'ad  a  hopportunity  of  counting 


'em,  sir. 


TRAHERNE.  He  Said  the  men  accused  of  assassinating 

a  political  officer  were  his  brothers — 
WATKINS.  [Quickly.]  Did  'e  say  that,  sir? 
TRAHERNE.  Didn't  you  hear  him?  What  did  he  mean? 
WATKINS.  I'm  sure  I  couldn't  say,  sir.  'Is  'Ighness  is 

what  you'd  call  a  very  playful  gentleman,  sir. 
TRAHERNE.  But  I  don't  See  the  joke  in  saying  that. 
WATKINS.  No,  sir?  P'raps  'Is  'Ighness'll  explain,  sir. 

[A  pause.] 
CRESPIN.  Your  master  spoke  of  visits  from  European 

ladies — do  they  come  from  Russia? 
WATKINS.   From  various  parts,   I   understand,  sir, — 

mostly  from  Paris. 
CRESPIN.  Any  here  now? 
WATKINS.  I  really  couldn't  say,  sir. 
TRAHERNE.  They  don't  dine  with  His  Highness? 
WATKINS.  Oh,  no,  sir.  'Is  'Ighness  sometimes  sups  with 

them. 
CRESPIN.  And  my  wife — Mrs.  Crespin — ? 
WATKINS.  Make  your  mind  easy,  sir — the  lady  won't 

meet  any  hundesirable  characters,  sir.  I  give  strict 

orders  to  the — the  female  what  took  charge  of  the 

lady. 
TRAHERNE.  Shc  is  to  be  trustcd? 
WATKINS.   Habsolutcly,  sir.   She  is — in  a  manner  of 

speakin', — my  wife,  sir. 
CRESPIN.  Mrs.  Watkins,  eh? 
WATKINS.  Ycssir — I  suppose  you  would  say  so. 
TRAHERNE.  But  now  look  hcrc,  Watkins — you  say  we're 

three   weeks  away   from   Cashmere — yet   the   Raja 

knew  of  the  sentence  passed   on   these  subjects  of 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  27 

his,  who  were  tried  only  three  days  ago.  How  do 
you  account  for  that? 
WATKiNS.  I  can't,  sir.  All  I  can  say  is,  there's  queer 

things  goes  on  here. 
TRAHERNE.  Qucer  things?  What  do  you  mean? 
WATKINS.  Well,  sir,  them  priests  you  know — they  goes 

in  a  lot  for  what  'Is  'Ighness  calls  magic — 
TRAHERNE.  Oh,  come,  Watkins — you  don't  believe  in 

that! 
WATKINS.  Well,  sir,  p'raps  not.  I  don't,  not  to  say  b  e  - 
1  i  e  V  e  in  it.  But  there's  queer  things  goes  on.  I  can't 
say  no  more,  nor  I  can't  say  no  less.  If  you'll  ex- 
cuse me,  sir,  I  must  just  run  my  eye  over  the  dinner- 
table.  'Is  'Ighness  will  be  here  directly. 

[He  retires y  inspects  the  table y  makes  one  or 
two  changeSy  and  presently  goes  out  by  the  backy 
left.] 
CRESPiN.  That  fellow's  either  a  cunning  rascal  or  a 

damned  fool.  Which  do  you  think? 
TRAHERNE.  I  don't  believe  he's  the  fool  he'd  like  us 
to  take  him  for. — Ah,  here  is  Mrs.  Crespin. 

[Enter  Lucilla,  righty  ushered  in  by  a  hand- 
some Ayah.  She  is  dressed  in  a  gauzy  gown  of 
quite  recent  stylcy  dark  blue  or  critnson.  Not  in 
the  least  decollete.  At  most  the  sleeves  might 
he  openy  so  as  to  show  her  arms  to  the  elbow. 
No  ornaments  except  a  gold  locket  on  a  little  gold 
chain  round  her  neck.  The  costmne  is  absolutely 
plain,  but  in  striking  contrast  to  her  travelling 
dress.  Her  hair  is  beautifully  arranged.] 
LUCILLA.   [To  the  Ayah.]   Thank  you.   [The  Ayah 
disappears.  Lucilla  advances y  holding  out  her  skirt 
a  little.]  Behold  the  Paris  model! 
CRESPIN.  My  eye,  Lu,  what  a  ripping  frock! 


28  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

TRAHERNE.  Talk  of  magic,  Major!  There's  something 
in  what  our  friend  says. 

LuciLLA.  What  is  that?  What  about  magic? 

CRESPiN.  We'll  tell  you  afterwards.  Let's  have  your 
adventures  first. 

LUCILLA.  No  adventures  precisely — only  a  little  ex- 
cursion into  the  Arabian  Nights. 

TRAHERNE.  Do  tell  Us! 

LUCILLA.  {Evidently  a  little  nervous y  yet  not  without 
enjoyment  of  the  experience.^  Well,  my  guide — 
the  woman  you  saw — led  me  along  corridor  after 
corridor,  and  upstairs  and  downstairs,  till  we  came 
to  a  heavy  bronze  door  where  two  villainous-looking 
blacks,  with  crooked  swords,  were  on  guard.  I  didn't 
like  the  looks  of  them  a  bitj  but  I  was  in  for  it  and 
had  to  go  on.  They  drew  their  swords  and  flourished 
a  sort  of  salute,  grinning  with  all  their  teeth.  Then 
the  ayah  clapped  her  hands  twice,  some  one  inspected 
us  through  a  grating  in  the  door,  and  the  ayah  said 
a  word  or  two — 

TRAHERNE.  No  doubt  "Open  sesame!" 

LUCILLA.  The  door  was  opened  by  a  hideous,  hump- 
backed old  woman,  just  like  the  wicked  fairy  in  a 
pantomime.  She  didn't  actually  bite  me,  but  she 
looked  as  if  she'd  like  to — and  we  passed  on.  More 
corridors,  with  curtained  doorways,  where  I  had  a 
feeling  that  furtive  eyes  were  watching  mc — though 
I  can't  positively  say  I  saw  them.  But  I'ln  sure  I 
heard  whisperings  and  titterings — 

CRESPIN.  Good  Lord!  If  I'd  thought  they  were  going 
to  treat  you  like  that,  I'd  have — 

LUCILLA.  Oh,  there  was  nothing  you  could  have  donej 
and,  you  see,  no  harm  came  of  it.  At  last  the  woman 
led  me  into  a  large  sort  of  wardrobe  room,  lighted 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  29 

from  above,  and  almost  entirely  lined  with  glazed 
presses  full  of  frocks.  Then  she  slid  back  a  panel, 
and  there  was  a  marble-lined  bath-room! — a  deep 
pool,  with  a  trickle  of  water  flowing  into  it  from  a 
dolphin's  head  of  gold — just  enough  to  make  the 
surface  ripple  and  dance.  And  all  around  were  the 
latest  Bond  Street  luxuries — shampooing  bowls  and 
brushes,  bottles  of  essences,  towels  on  hot  rails  and 
all  the  rest  of  it.  The  only  thing  that  was  disagree- 
able was  a  sickly  odour  from  some  burning  pastilles 
— oh,  and  a  coal-black  bath-woman. 

TRAHERNE.  It  suggests  a  Royal  Academy  picture — 
"The  Odalisque's  Pool." 

CRESPiN.  Or  a  soap  advertisement. 

TRAHERNE.  Same  thing. 

LuciLLA.  Well,  I  wasn't  sorry  to  play  the  odalisque 
for  oncej  and  when  I  had  finished,  lo  and  behold! 
the  ayah  had  laid  out  for  me  half  a  dozen  gorgeous 
and  distinctly  risky  dinner-gowns.  I  had  to  explain 
to  her  in  gestures  that  I  couldn't  live  up  to  any  of 
them,  and  would  rather  put  on  my  old  travelling 
dress.  She  seemed  quite  frightened  at  the  idea — 

CRESPIN.  Ha  ha!  She'd  probably  have  got  the  sack — 
perhaps  literally — if  she'd  let  you  do  that. 

LUCILLA.  Anyway,  she  at  last  produced  this  com- 
paratively inoffensive  frock.  She  did  my  hair,  and 
wanted  to  finish  me  off  with  all  sorts  of  necklaces 
and  bangles,  but  I  stuck  to  my  old  locket  with  the 
babies'  heads. 

CRESPIN.  Well,  all's  well  that  ends  well,  I  suppose. 
But  if  I'd  foreseen  all  this  "Secrets  of  the  Zenana" 
business,  I'm  dashed  if  I  wouldn't — 

LUCILLA  [Cutting  him  short.]  What  were  you  saying 
about  magic  when  I  came  in.? 


30  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

TRAHERNE.  Only  that  this  man,  Watkins — he's  the  hus- 
band of  your  ayah,  by  the  way — says  queer  things 
go  on  here,  and  pretends  to  believe  in  magic. 

LuciLLA.  Do  you  know,  Antony,  when  the  Raja  was 
speaking  about  him  down  there,  it  seemed  to  me  that 
his  face  was  somehow  familiar  to  me. 

CRESPiN.  There,  Doctor!  What  did  I  say?  I  knew  I'd 
seen  him  before,  but  Pm  damned  if  I  can  place 
him. 

LUCILLA.  I  wish  I  could  get  a  good  look  at  him. 

[Watkins  enters y  backy  lefty  with  something 
for  the  table. ^ 

TRAHERNE.  There  he  is.  Shall  I  call  him  in? 

LUCILLA.  Say  I  want  him  to  thank  his  wife  from  me. 

TRAHERNE.  [Calls.]  Watkins. 

WATKINS.  Sir? 

TRAHERNE.  Mrs.  Crespin  would  like  to  speak  to  you. 
[Watkins  comes  forward.] 

LUCILLA.  I  hear,  Watkins,  that  the  ayah  who  so  kindly 
attended  to  mc  is  your  wife. 

WATKINS.  That's  right,  ma'am. 

LUCILLA.  She  gave  me  most  efficient  assistance,  and, 
as  she  seems  to  know  no  English,  I  couldn't  thank 
her.  Will  you  be  good  enough  to  tell  her  how  much 
I  appreciated  all  she  did  for  me? 

WATKINS.  Thank  you  kindly,  ma'am.  She'll  be  proud 
to  hear  it.  [Pause.]  Is  that  all,  ma'am? 

LUCILLA.  That's  all,  thank  you,  Watkins. 

[He  returns  to  the  loggia y  but  goes  to  the 
other  side  of  the  dinner-table  and  keeps  an  eye 
on  the  three.] 

CRESPIN.  You've  a  good  memory  for  faces,  Lu.  Do 
you  spot  him? 

LUCILLA.  Don't  let  him  see  we're  talking  about  him. 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  31 

I  believe  I  do  know  him,  but  I'm  not  quite  sure. 
Do  you  remember,  the  first  year  we  were  in  India, 
there  was  a  man  of  the  Dorsets  that  used  often  to 
be  on  guard  outside  the  mess-room? 

CRESPiN.  By  God,  you've  hit  it! 

TRAHERNE.  Take  care!  He's  watching. 

LuciLLA.  You  remember  he  deserted,  and  was  sus- 
pected of  having  murdered  a  woman  in  the  bazaar. 

CRESPIN.  I  believe  it's  the  very  man. 

LUCILLA.  It's  certainly  very  like  him. 

CRESPIN.  And  he  swears  he's  never  been  in  India! 

TRAHERNE.  Under  the  circumstances,  he  naturally 
would. 

LUCILLA.  At  all  events,  he's  not  a  man  to  be  trusted. 
[At  this  momen  the  Raja  enters  by  the  door, 
right.  He  is  in  faultless  European  evening  dress 
— white  waistcoat  J  white  tie,  etc.  No  jewels,  ex- 
cept the  ribbon  and  star  of  a  Russian  order.  Noth- 
ing oriental  about  him  except  his  turban  and  his 
complexion.  ] 

RAJA.  \As  he  enter s.\  Pray  forgive  me,  Madam,  for 
being  the  last  to  appear.  The  fact  is,  I  had  to  hold 
a  sort  of  Cabinet  Council — or  shall  I  say  a  conclave 
of  prelates? — with  regard  to  questions  arising  out 
of  your  most  welcome  arrival. 

CRESPIN.  May  we  hope.  Raja,  that  you  were  laying  a 
dawk  for  our  return. 

RAJA.  Pray,  pray.  Major,  let  us  postpone  that  question 
for  the  moment.  First  let  us  fortify  ourselves j  after 
dinner  we  will  talk  seriously.  If  you  are  in  t  o  o  great 
a  hurry  to  desert  me,  must  I  not  conclude,  Madam, 
that  you  are  dissatisfied  with  your  reception? 

LUCILLA.  How  could  we  possibly  be  so  ungrateful, 
your  Highness?  Your  hospitality  overwhelms  us. 


32  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

RAJA.  I  trust  my  Mistress  of  the  Robes  furnished  you 

with  all  you  required? 
LuciLLA.  With  all  and  more  than  all.  She  offered  me 

quite  a  bewildering  array  of  gorgeous  apparel. 
RAJA.  Oh,  I  am  glad.  I  had  hoped  that  perhaps  your 

choice  might  have  fallen  on  something  more — \He 

indicates  by  gestures j  "decollete"^.  But  no — I  was 

wrong — Madam's  taste  is  irreproachable. 

[A  servant  enters  from  behind  with  cocktails 
on  a  silver  salver.  Lucilla  refuses.  The  men  ac- 
cent. LuciLLA  ficks  up  a  yellow  French  book  on 
one  of  the  tables.] 
RAJA.  You  see,  Madam,  we  fall  behind  the  age  here. 

We  are  still  in  the  Anatole  France  period.  If  he 

bores  you,   here    {^ficking  up   another  book]    is   a 

Maurice  Barres  that  you  may  find  more  amusing. 
LUCILLA.  Oh,  I  too  am  in  the  Anatole  France  period, 

I  assure  you.   [Reads.]  "Sur  la  Pierre  Blanche" — 

isn't  that  the  one  you  were  recommending  to  me. 

Dr.  Traherne? 
TRAHERNE.  Yes,  I  like  it  better  than  some  of  his  later 

books. 
RAJA.  [Picking  up  a  silver-grey  book.]  As  for  Bernard 

Shaw,  I  suppose  he's  quite  a  back  number  j  but  I 

confess  his  impudence  entertains  me.  What  do  y  o  u 

say.  Major? 
CRESPiN.  Never  read  a  line  of  the  fellow — except  in 

John  Bull. 
LUCILLA  and  traherne.   [Sijnultaneously .]   In  John 

Bull! 
CRESPIN.  Somebody  told  mc  he  wrote  in  John  Bull — 

doesn't  he? 
RAJA.  Arc  you  fond  of  music,  Mrs.  Crespin?   [Goes  to 

the  gramophone^  and  turns  over  some  recordsy  till 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  33 

he  finds  one  which  he  lays  on  the  tof  of  the  -pile.] 
Suppose  we  have  some  during  dinner.  [Watkins 
enters  from  the  backy  left.]  Watkins,  just  start  this 
top  record,  will  you?  [Watkins  does  so.] 

[At  this  moment  the  Major-domo  enters  from 
the  backy  and  says  a  few  words.  ] 

raja.  Ah!  Madame  est  servie!  Allow  me — 

[He  offers  Lucilla  his  arm  and  leads  her  to  the 
table.  The  others  follow.]  Will  you  take  this  seat. 
Madam?  You  here.  Major — Dr.  Traherne!  [He 
himself  sits  to  the  left  of  the  table;  Lucilla  on  his 
right;  Traherne  offosite  him;  and  Crespin  of- 
posite  Lucilla,  with  his  back  to  the  sunset,  which 
is  now  flooding  the  scene.] 

RAJA.  [As  the  servants  offer  dishes.]  I  can  recommend 
this  caviare,  Major — and  you'll  take  a  glass  of 
maraschino  with  it — Russian  fashion. 

[Just  as  they  sit  down  the  gramophone  reels 
out  the  first  bars  of  a  piece  of  music] 

lucilla.  [After  listening  a  moment.]  Oh,  what  is 
that? 

raja.  Don't  you  know  it? 

LUCILLA.  Oh,  yes,  but  I  can't  think  what  it  is. 

RAJA.  Gounod's  "Funeral  March  of  a  Marionette" — 
a  most  humorous  composition.  May  I  pour  you  a 
glass  of  maraschino?  [He  goes  on  talking  as 

THE  CURTAIN  FALLS 


When  it  rises  again,  the  glow  has  faded,  and  some 
big  stars  are  pulsing  in  the  strip  of  purple  sky.  The 
party  is  just  finishing  dinner.  Dessert  is  on  the  table, 
which  is  lighted  by  electric  lamps.  Watkins  stands 


34  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

behind  the  Raja's   chair.   The   Major-domo   and 
other  servants  hover  round. 

The  Raja  has  just  finished  a  story y  at  which  all  laugh. 
A  short  pause.] 

LuciLLA.  What  a  heavenly  night! 

raja.  Yes,  our  summer  climate  is  far  from  bad. 

LUCILLA.  The  air  is  like  champagne. 

RAJA.  A  little  over  frappe  for  some  tastes.  What  do 
you  say,  Madam?  Shall  we  have  coffee  indoors? 
There  is  an  edge  to  the  air  at  these  altitudes,  as 
soon  as  the  sun  has  gone  down. 

LUCILLA.  [Shivers  slightly.]  Yes,  I  do  feel  a  little 
chilly. 

RAJA.  Watkins,  send  for  a  shawl  for  Madam.  [Rising.] 
And  ah — let  us  have  the  fire  lighted.  [Watkins 
goes  off  to  the  left.  The  Raja  says  a  word  to  the 
Major-domo,  who  touches  a  switch  in  one  of  the 
pillars  of  the  loggia  opening.  The  chandelier  and 
wall-lamps  of  the  salon  burst  into  brilliant  light.] 

RAJA.  [Offering  his  artn  to  Lucilla.]  Let  me  find  you 
a  comfortable  seat.  Madam.  [He  leads  her  to  the 
further  back  of  the  two  arm-chairs.]  When  the  fire 
is  lighted,  I  think  you  will  find  this  quite  pleasant. 
Take  the  other  chair,  Major.  [Crespin  does  so.] 
I  must  really  refurnish  this  salon.  My  ancestors  had 
no  notion  of  comfort.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  use  the 
room  only  on  state  occasions,  like  the  present. 
[Bowing  to  Lucilla.]  I  have  a  much  more  modern 
snuggery  upstairs,  which  I  hope  you  will  see  to- 
morrow. 

[Servants  hand  round  coffee,  liqueurs,  cigars, 
cigarettes  during  what  follows.  One  of  them 
lights  the  fire,  of  aromatic  wood.] 

RAJA.  [7^0  Traherne,  who  has  remained  at  the  loggia 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  35 

o-peningy  looking  out  into  the  night. ^   Star-gazing, 
Dr.  Traherne? 

TRAHERNE.  I  beg  your  pardon.  \Comes  forward.^ 

LuciLLA.  Dr.  Traherne  is  quite  an  astronomer. 

RAJA.  As  much  at  home  with  the  telescope  as  with  the 
miscroscope,  eh? 

TRAHERNE.  Oh,  no.  I'm  no  astronomer.  I  can  pick  out 
a  few  of  the  constellations, — that's  all. 

RAJA.  For  my  part,  I  look  at  the  stars  as  little  as  pos- 
sible. As  a  spectacle  they're  monotonous,  and  they 
don't  bear  thinking  of. 

yrhe  Ayah,  entering  by  door,  right y  brings 
LuciLLA  a  shawl y  which  the  Raja  f  laces  on  her 
shoulders.  ] 

LUCILLA.  What  an  exquisite  shawl! 

RAJA.  And  most  becoming — don't  you  think  so,  Doc- 
tor? [Traherne  is  gazing  at  Lucilla.]  My  Mis- 
tress of  the  Robes  has  chosen  well!  [He  makes  a 
motion  of  noiseless  apflause  to  the  Ayah,  who  grins 
and  exity  right. ^ 

LUCILLA.  Why  won't  the  stars  bear  thinking  of.  Raja? 

RAJA.  Well,  dear  lady,  don't  you  think  they're  rather 
ostentatious?  /  was  guilty  of  a  little  showing-ofiF 
today,  when  I  played  that  foolish  trick  with  my 
regular  troops.  But  think  of  the  Maharaja  up 
yonder  {pointing  upwards^  who  night  after  night 
whistles  up  his  glittering  legions,  and  puts  them 
through  their  deadly  punctual  drill,  as  much  as  to 
say  "See  what  a  devil  of  a  fellow  /  am!"  Do  you 
think  it  quite  in  good  taste,  Madam? 

traherne.  [Laughing.^  I'm  afraid  you're  jealous, 
Raja.  You  don't  like  having  to  play  second  fiddle 
to  a  still  more  absolute  ruler. 

raja.    Perhaps    you're    right.    Doctor — perhaps    it's 


36  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

partly  that.  But  there's  something  more  to  it.  I 
can't  help  resenting — [To  Crespin  to  whom  a  serv- 
ant is  offering  liqueurs.]  Let  me  recommend  the 
kummel,  Major.  1  think  you'll  find  it  excellent. 

TRAHERNE.  What  is  it  you  resent? 

RAJA.  Oh,  the  respect  paid  to  mere  size — to  the  im- 
mensity, as  they  call  it,  of  the  universe.  Are  we  to 
worship  a  god  because  he's  big? 

TRAHERNE.  If  you  rcsent  his  bigness,  what  do  you  say 
to  his  littleness?  The  microscope,  you  know,  reveals 
him  no  less  than  the  telescope. 

RAJA.  And  reveals  him  in  the  form  of  death-dealing 
specks  of  matter,  which  you,  I  understand.  Doctor, 
are  impiously  proposing  to  exterminate. 

TRAHERNE.  I  am  trying  to  marshal  the  life-saving 
against  the  death-dealing  powers. 

RAJA.  To  marshal  God's  right  hand  against  his  left, 
eh?  or  vice  versa?  But  I  admit  you  have  the  pull  of 
the  astronomers,  in  so  far  as  you  deal  in  life,  not 
in  dead  mechanism.  [Killing  a  gnat  on  the  back 
of  his  hand.}  This  mosquito  that  I  have  just  killed 
— I  am  glad  to  see  you  smoke.  Madam:  it  helps  to 
keep  them  off — this  mosquito,  or  any  smallest  thing 
that  has  life  in  it,  is  to  me  far  more  admirable  than 
a  whole  lifeless  universe.  What  do  y  o  u  say,  Major? 

CRESPIN.  [Smoking  a  cigar.]  I  say.  Raja,  that  if  you'll 
tell  that  fellow  to  give  mc  another  glass  of  kiimmel, 
I'll  let  you  have  your  own  way  about  the  universe. 
[  The  Raja  says  a  word  to  one  of  the  servants y  who 
refills  Crespin's  glass.] 

LuciLLA.  But  what  if  the  mechanism,  as  you  call  it, 
isn't  dead?  What  if  the  stars  are  swarming  with  life? 

TRAHERNE.  Ycs — supposc  there  are  planets,  which  of 
course  we  can't  see,  circling  round  each  of  the  great 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  37 

suns  we  d  o  see?  And  suppose  they  are  all  inhabited? 

RAJA.  I'd  rather  not  suppose  it.  Isn't  one  inhabited 
world  bad  enough?  Do  we  want  it  multiplied  by 
millions? 

LuciLLA.  Haven't  you  just  been  telling  us  that  a  living 
gnat  is  more  wonderful  than  a  dead  universe? 

RAJA.  Wonderful?  Yes,  by  all  means — wonderful  as 
a  device  for  torturing  and  being  tortured.  Oh,  I'm 
neither  a  saint  nor  an  ascetic — I  take  life  as  I  find  it 
— I  am  tortured  and  I  torture.  But  there's  one 
thing  I'm  really  proud  of — I'm  proud  to  belong  to 
the  race  of  the  Buddha,  who  first  found  out  that  life 
was  a  colossal  blunder. 

LUCILLA  [In  a  low  voice.]  Should  you  like  the  sky  to 
be  starless?  That  seems  to  me — forgive  me,  Prince — 
the  last  word  of  impiety. 

RAJA.  Possibly,  Madam.  How  my  esteemed  fellow- 
creatures  were  ever  bluffed  into  piety  is  a  mystery  to 
me.  Not  that  I'm  complaining.  If  men  could  not  be 
bluffed  by  the  Raja  above,  much  less  would  they  be 
bluffed  by  us  Rajas  below.  And  though  life  is  a  con- 
temptible business,  I  don't  deny  that  p  o  w  e  r  is  the 
best  part  of  it. 

TRAHERNE.  In  short,  your  Highness  is  a  Superman. 

RAJA.  Ah,  you  read  Nietzsche?  Yes,  if  I  weren't  of  the 
kindred  of  the  Buddha,  I  should  like  to  be  of  the  race 
of  that  great  man. 

[The  servants  have  now  all  withdrawn.] 

LUCILLA.  [Looking  out.]  There  is  the  moon  rising  over 
the  snowfields.  I  hope  you  wouldn't  banish  her 
from  the  heavens? 

RAJA.  Oh,  no — I  like  her  silly,  good-natured  face.  And 
she's  useful  to  lovers  and  brigands  and  other  law- 
less vagabonds,  with  whom  I  have  great  sympathy. 


38  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

Besides,  I  don't  know  that  she's  so  silly  either.  She 
seems  to  be  for  ever  raising  her  eyebrows  in  mild 
astonishment  at  human  folly. 

CRESPiN.  All  this  is  out  of  my  depth,  your  Highness. 
We've  had  a  rather  fatiguing  day.  Mightn't  we — ? 

RAJA.  To  be  sure.  I  only  waited  till  the  servants  had 
gone.  Now,  are  you  all  quite  comfortable? 

LuciLLA.  Quite. 

TRAHERNE.  Perfectly,  thank  you. 

CRESPIN.  Perfectly. 

RAJA.  [Smoking  a  cigar ^  and  standing  with  his  hack  to 
the  fire.]  Then  we'll  go  into  committee  upon  your 
position  here. 

CRESPIN.  If  you  please,  sir. 

RAJA.  I'm  afraid  you  may  find  it  rather  disagreeable. 

CRESPIN.  Communications  bad,  eh?  We  have  a  difficult 
journey  before  us? 

RAJA.  A  long  journey,  I  fear — yet  not  precisely  dif- 
ficult. 

CRESPIN.  It  surely  can't  be  so  very  far,  since  you  had 
heard  of  the  sentence  passed  on  those  assassins. 

RAJA.  I  am  glad.  Major,  that  you  have  so  tactfully 
spared  me  the  pain  of  re-opening  that  subject.  We 
should  have  had  to  come  to  it,  sooner  or  later.  [An 
embarrassed  pause.  ] 

TRAHERNE.  When  your  Highness  said  they  were  your 
brothers,  you  were  of  course  speaking  figuratively. 
You  meant  your  tribesmen? 

RAJA.  Not  at  all.  They  are  sons  of  my  father — not  of 
my  mother. 

LUCILLA.  And  we  intrude  upon  you  at  such  a  time! 
How  dreadful! 

RAJA.  Oh,  pray  don't  apologize.  Believe  me,  your  ar- 
rival has  given  great  satisfaction. 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  39 

TRAHERNE.  How  do  you  mean? 

RAJA.  I'll  explain  presently.     But  first — 

CRESPiN.  [Interrupting.]  First  let  us  understand  each 
other.  You  surely  can't  approve  of  this  abominable 
crime  ? 

RAJA.  My  brothers  are  fanatics,  and  there  is  no  fanati- 
cism in  me. 

LuciLLA.  How  do  they  come  to  be  so  different  from 
you? 

RAJA.  That  is  just  what  I  was  going  to  tell  you.  I  was 
my  father's  eldest  son,  by  his  favourite  wife. 
Through  my  mother's  influence  (my  poor  mother — 
how  I  loved  her! )  I  was  sent  to  Europe.  My  educa- 
tion was  wholly  European.  I  shed  all  my  prejudices. 
I  became  the  open-minded  citizen  of  the  world  whom 
I  hope  you  recognize  in  me.  My  brothers,  on  the 
other  hand,  turned  to  India  for  their  culture.  The  re- 
ligion of  our  people  has  always  been  a  primitive  idol- 
atry. My  brothers  naturally  fell  in  with  adherents  of 
the  same  superstition,  and  they  worked  each  other  up 
to  a  high  pitch  of  frenzy  against  the  European  ex- 
ploitation of  Asia. 

TRAHERNE.  Had  you  no  restraining  influence  upon 
them? 

RAJA.  Of  course  I  might  have  imprisoned  them — or 
had  them  strangled — the  traditional  form  of  argu- 
ment in  our  family.  But  why  should  I?  As  I  said,  I 
have  no  prejudices — least  of  all  in  favour  of  the 
British  raj.  We  are  of  Indian  race,  though  long  sev- 
ered from  the  Motherland — and  I  do  not  love  her 
tyrants. 

CRESPIN.  [Who  has  had  quite  enough  to  drink.]  In 
short,  sir,  you  defend  this  devilish  murder? 

RAJA.  Oh,  no — I  think  it  foolish  and  futile.  But  there  is 


40  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

a  romantic  as  well  as  a  practical  side  to  my  nature, 
and,  from  the  romantic  point  of  view,  I  rather  ad- 
mire it. 

CRESPiN.  [Rising.]  Then,  sir,  the  less  we  intrude  on 
your  hospitality  the  better.  If  you  will  be  good 
enough  to  furnish  us  with  transport  tomorrow  morn- 
ing— 

RAJA.  That  is  just  where  the  difficulty  arises — 

CRESPIN.  No  transport,  hey? 

RAJA.  Materially  it  might  be  managed j  but  morally  I 
fear  it  is — excuse  the  colloquialism,  Madam — no  go. 

CRESPIN.  What  the  devil  do  you  mean,  sir — ? 

LUCiLLA.  [Trying  to  cover  his  bluster.]  Will  your 
Highness  be  good  enough  to  explain? 

RAJA.  I  mentioned  that  the  religion  of  my  people  is  a 
primitive  superstition?  Well,  since  the  news  has 
spread  that  three  Feringhis  have  dropped  from  the 
skies  precisely  at  the  time  when  three  princes  of  the 
royal  house  are  threatened  with  death  at  the  hands 
of  the  Feringhi  government, — and  dropped,  more- 
over, in  the  precincts  of  a  temple — my  subjects  have 
got  into  their  heads  that  you  have  been  personally 
conducted  hither  by  the  Goddess  whom  they  espe- 
cially worship. 

LUCILLA.  The  Goddess — ? 

RAJA.  [Turning  to  the  statuette.]  Here  is  her  portrait 
on  the  mantelpiece — much  admired  by  connoisseurs. 
[LuciLLA  cannot  rep-ess  a  shudder.] 

RAJA.  I  need  not  say  that  I  am  far  from  sharing  the 
popular  illusion.  Your  arrival  is  of  course  the  merest 
coincidence — for  me,  a  charming  coincidence.  But  my 
people  hold  unphilosophic  views.  I  understand  that 
even  in  England  the  vulgar  are  apt  to  see  the  Finger 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  41 

of  Providence  in  particularly  fortunate — or  unfortu- 
nate— occurrences . 

CRESPiN.  Then  the  upshot  of  all  this  palaver  is  that  you 
propose  to  hold  us  as  hostages,  to  exchange  for  your 
brothers? 

RAJA.  That  is  not  precisely  the  idea,  my  dear  sir.  My 
theologians  do  not  hold  that  an  exchange  is  what  the 
Goddess  decrees.  Nor,  to  be  quite  frank,  would  it  al- 
together suit  my  book. 

LuciLLA.  Not  to  get  your  brothers  back  again? 

RAJA.  You  may  have  noted  in  history,  Madam,  that 
family  affection  is  seldom  the  strong  point  of  Princes. 
Is  it  not  Pope  who  remarks  on  their  lack  of  enthu- 
siasm for  "a  brother  near  the  throne"?  My  sons  are 
mere  children,  and  were  I  to  die — we  are  all  mortal 
— there  might  be  trouble  about  the  succession.  In  our 
family,  uncles  seldom  love  nephews. 

LUCILLA.  So  you  would  raise  no  finger  to  save  your 
brothers? 

RAJA.  That  is  not  my  only  reason.  Supposing  it  pos- 
sible that  I  could  bully  the  Government  of  India 
into  giving  up  my  relatives,  do  you  think  it  would  sit 
calmly  down  under  the  humiliation?  No,  no,  dear 
lady.  It  might  wait  a  few  years  to  find  some  decent 
pretext,  but  assuredly  we  should  have  a  punitive  ex- 
pedition. It  would  cost  thousands  of  lives  and  mil- 
lions of  money,  but  what  would  that  matter?  Prestige 
would  be  restored,  and  I  should  end  my  days  in  a 
maisonette  in  Petrograd.  It  wouldn't  suit  me  at  all. 
Hitherto  I  have  escaped  the  notice  of  your  Govern- 
ment by  a  policy  of  masterly  inactivity,  and  I  pro- 
pose to  adhere  to  that  policy. 

CRESPIN.  Then  I  don't  see  how — 


42  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

TRAHERNE.  [Simultaneously.}  Surely  you  don't 
mean — ? 

RAJA.  We  are  approaching  the  crux  of  the  matter — a 
point  which  I  fear  you  may  have  some  difficulty  in 
appreciating.  I  would  beg  you  to  remember,  that, 
though  I  am  what  is  commonly  called  an  autocrat, 
there  is  no  such  thing  under  the  sun  as  real  des- 
potism. All  government  is  government  by  consent  of 
the  people.  It  is  very  stupid  of  them  to  consent — but 
they  do.  I  have  studied  the  question — I  took  a  pretty 
good  degree  at  Cambridge,  in  Moral  and  Political 
Science — and  I  assure  you  that,  though  I  have  ab- 
solute power  of  life  and  death  over  my  subjects,  it 
is  only  their  acquiescence  that  gives  me  that  power. 
If  I  defied  their  prejudices  or  their  passions,  they 
could  upset  my  throne  tomorrow. 

CRESPiN.  [ Angrily. \  Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  come  to 
the  point,  sir? 

RAJA.  Gently,  Major!  We  shall  reach  it  soon  enough. 
[To  LuciLLA.]  Please  remember,  too.  Madam,  that 
an  autocracy  is  generally  a  theocracy  to  boot,  and 
mine  is  a  case  in  point.  I  am  a  slave  to  theology.  The 
clerical  party  can  do  what  it  pleases  with  me,  for 
there  is  no  other  party  to  oppose  it.  True,  I  am  my 
own  Archbishop  of  Canterbury — but  "I  have  a  part- 
ner: Mr.  Jorkins" — I  have  a  terribly  exacting  Arch- 
bishop of  York.  I  fear  I  may  have  to  introduce  you 
to  him  tomorrow. 

LUCILLA.  You  are  torturing  us,  your  Highness.  Like 
my  husband,  I  beg  you  to  come  to  the  point. 

RAJA.  The  point  is,  dear  lady,  that  the  theology  on 
which,  as  I  say,  my  whole  power  is  founded,  has  not 
yet  emerged  from  the  Mosaic  stage  of  development: 
it  demands  an  eye  for  an  eye,  a  tooth  for  a  tooth — 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  43 

[A  long  pause.] 
a  life  for  a  life. 

[Another  pause.] 

TRAHERNE.  You  mean  to  say — 

RAJA.  Unfortunately,  I  do. 

LuciLLA.  You  would  kill  us — ? 

RAJA.  Not  I,  Madam — the  clerical  party.  And  only  if 
my  brothers  are  executed.  If  not,  I  will  merely  de- 
mand your  word  of  honour  that  what  has  passed  be- 
tween us  shall  never  be  mentioned  to  any  human 
soul — and  you  shall  go  free. 

CRESPiN.  But  if  your  brother  assassins  are  hanged — as 
assuredly  they  will  be — you  will  put  to  death  in  cold 
blood — 

RAJA.  [Interrupting.]  Oh,  not  in  cold  blood,  Major. 
There  is  nothing  cold-blooded  about  the  clerical 
party  when  "white  goats,"  as  their  phrase  goes,  are  to 
be  sacrificed  to  the  Goddess. 

TRAHERNE.  Does  your  Goddess  demand  the  life  of  a 
woman? 

RAJA.  Well,  on  that  point  she  might  not  be  too  exacting. 
"On  trouve  avec  le  Ciel  des  accommodements."  If 
Madam  would  be  so  gracious  as  to  favour  me  with 
her — society — 

[LuciLLA  after  gazing  at  him  for  a  moment 
speechlesSy  realizes  his  meaning  and  springs  up 
with  a  cry  of  rage  and  shame.  ] 

TRAHERNE.  ScOUndrcl! 

CRESPIN.  [Draws  his  revolver.]  Another  word,  and  I 
shoot  you  like  a  dog! 

RAJA.  Oh,  no.  Major — that  wouldn't  help  a  bit.  You 
would  only  be  torn  to  pieces  instead  of  beheaded. 
Besides,  I  have  had  your  teeth  drawn.  That  precau- 
tion was  taken  while  you  were  at  your  bath. 


44  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

CRESPiN.  [Examines  his  revolver  and  finds  it  empty.] 

Damnation! 
LuciLLA  [Raising  her  head  and  addressing  both  men.] 
Promise  you  won't  leave  me  alone!  If  we  must  die, 
let  me  die  first. 
RAJA.  The  order  of  the  ceremony,  Madam,  will  not  be 
at  these  gentlemen's  choice.  [Lucilla  makes  a  ges- 
ture of  despair.]  But  do  not  be  alarmed.  No  con- 
straint shall  be  put  upon  your  inclinations.  Dr.  Tra- 
herne  reproached  me  with  lack  of  consideration  for 
your  sex,  and  I  hinted  that,  if  you  so  pleased,  your 
sex  should  meet  with  every  consideration.  I  gather 
that  you  do  n  o  t  so  please?  Well,  I  scarcely  hoped 
you  would — I  do  not  press  the  point.  None  the  less, 
the  suggestion  remains  open.  And  now,  I'm  afraid 
I've  been  talking  a  great  deal.  You  must  be  fatigued. 
[The  Major-domo  appears  at  the  doory  right y 
with  a  slip  of  paper  on  a  salver.  The  Raja  mo- 
tions him  to  advance y  goes  to  tneet  hiniy  takes  the 
paper  and  looks  at  it.] 
RAJA.  Ah,  this  is  interesting!   If  you  will  wait  a  few 
minutes,  I  may  have  some  news  for  you.  Excuse  me. 
[Exity  right y  followed  by  the  Major-domo.] 
[  The  three  stare  at  each  other  for  a  moment  in 
speechless  horror.] 
LUCILLA.  And  we  were  saved  this  morning — only  for 

this! 
TRAHERNE.  Couragc!  There  must  be  some  way  out. 
CRESPIN.  The  whole  thing's  a  damned  piece  of  bluff! 

Ha,  ha,  ha!  The  scoundrel  almost  took  me  in. 
LUCILLA.   [Throwing  herself  down  on  the  ottoman  in 
a  passion  of  tears.]  My  babies!  Oh,  my  babies!  Never 
to  see  them  again!  To  leave  them  all  alone  in  the 
world!    My  Ronny!   My  little  Iris!   What  can  we 


Act  II  THE   GREEN   GODDESS  45 

do?  What  can  we  do?  Antony!  Dr.  Traherne!  Think 

of  something — something — 
CRESPiN.  Yes,  yes,  Lu — we'll  think  of  something — 
TRAHERNE.  There's  that  fellow  Watkins — we  might 

bribe  him — 
LuciLLA.  Oh,  offer  him  every  penny  we  have  in  the 

world — 
TRAHERNE.  I'm  afraid  he's  a  malicious  scoundrel.  He 

must  have  known  what  was  hanging  over  our  heads, 

and,  looking  back,  I  seem  to  see  him  gloating  over  it. 
LUCILLA.  Still — still — perhaps  he  can  be  bought.  An- 
tony! Think  of  the  children!  Oh,  do  let  us  try. 
CRESPIN.  But  even  if  he  would,  he  couldn't  guide  us 

through  the  mountains. 
LUCILLA.  Oh,  he  could  hire  some  one  else. 
TRAHERNE.  I  don't  bclieve  we  can  possibly  be  so  far 

from  the  frontier  as  he  makes  out. 
LUCILLA.  How  far  did  he  say? 
TRAHERNE.  Three  weeks'  journey.  Yet  they  know  all 

about  things  that  happened  less  than  a  week  ago. 
^Suddenly  all  the  lights  in  the  room  go  down 
very  perceptibly.  All  look  round  in  surf  rise. \ 
LUCILLA.  What  is  that?   \A  sort  of  hissing  and  chitter- 

ing  sound  is  heard  faintly  but  unmistakably .\  What 

an  odd  sound! 
TRAHERNE.  Major!  Do  you  hear  that! 
CRESPIN.  Do  I  hear  it?  I  should  say  so! 

TRAHERNE.    WirclcSs! 

CRESPIN.     \NLuch    excited. \     Wireless,    by    Jupiter! 

They're  sending  out  a  message! 
TRAHERNE.  That  accounts  for  it!   They're  in  wireless 

communication  with  India! 
LUCILLA,    \To  Traherne.]   Antony  knows  all  about 

wireless. 


46  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

CRESPiN.  I  should  rather  think  so!  Wasn't  it  my  job  all 
through  the  war!  If  I  could  hear  more  distinctly 
now — and  if  they're  transmitting  in  clear — I  could 
read  their  message. 

TRAHERNE.  That  may  be  our  salvation! 

CRESPIN.  If  we  could  get  control  of  the  wireless  for 
five  minutes,  and  call  up  the  aerodrome  at  Amil- 
Serai — 

LuciLLA.  What  then? 

CRESPIN.  Why,  we'd  soon  bring  the  Raja  to  his  senses. 

LUCILLA.  [To  Crespin.]  Where  do  you  suppose  the 
installation  is? 

CRESPIN.  Somewhere  overhead  I  should  say. 

TRAHERNE,  We  must  go  Very  cautiously.  Major.  We 
must  on  no  account  let  the  Raja  suspect  that  we  know 
anything  about  wireless  telegraphy,  else  he'd  take 
care  we  should  never  get  near  the  installation. 

CRESPIN.  Right  you  are,  Traherne — I'll  lie  very  low. 

LUCILLA,  [Tearing  off  the  shawl.]  And  how  are  we  to 
behave  to  that  horrible  man? 

CRESPIN.  We  must  keep  a  stiff  upper  lip,  and  play  the 
game. 

LUCILLA.  You  mean  pretend  to  take  part  in  his  ghastly 
comedy  of  hospitality  and  politeness? 

TRAHERNE.  If  you  Can,  it  would  be  wisest.  His  delight 
in  showing  off  his  European  polish  is  all  in  our  fa- 
vour. But  for  that  he  might  separate  us  and  lock  us 
up.  We  must  avoid  that  at  all  costs. 

LUCILLA.  Oh,  yes,  yes — 

CRESPIN.  You've  always  had  plenty  of  pluck,  Lu — . 
Now's  the  time  to  show  it. 

LUCILLA.  [Putting  on  the  shawl  again.]  You  can  trust 
me.  The  thought  of  the  children  knocked  me  over 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  47 

at  first  J  but  Pm  not  afraid  to  die.  \The  chittermg 
sound  ceases^  and  the  lights  suddenly  go  wp  again.] 
The  noise  has  stopped. 

CRESPiN.  Yes,  they've  left  off  transmitting,  and  ceased 
to  draw  on  the  electric  current. 

TRAHERNE.  He'll  be  back  presently.  Don't  let  us  seem 
to  be  consulting. 

[Traherne  seats  himself  in  an  easy  chair.  Lu- 
ciLLA  sits  on  the  ottoman.  Crespin  lights  a  cigar 
and  takes  the  Raja's  flace  before  the  fire.  ] 

CRESPIN.  Curse  it!  I  can't  remember  the  wave-length 
and  the  call  for  Amil-Serai.  I  was  constantly  using  it 
at  one  time. 

TRAHERNE.  It'll  come  back  to  you. 

CRESPIN.  I  pray  to  the  Lord  it  may! 
[The  Raja  enters y  right.] 

RAJA.  I  promised  you  news,  and  it  has  come. 

CRESPIN.  What  news? 

RAJA.  My  brothers'  execution  is  fixed  for  the  day  after 
tomorrow. 

LuciLLA.  Then  the  day  after  tomorrow — ? 

RAJA.  Yes — at  sunset.  [A  -pause.]  But  meanwhile  I 
hope  you  will  regard  my  poor  house  as  your  own. 
This  is  Liberty  Hall.  My  tennis  courts,  my  billiard- 
room,  my  library  are  all  at  your  disposal.  I  should 
not  advise  you  to  pass  the  palace  gates — it  would  not 
be  safe,  for  popular  feeling,  I  must  warn  you,  runs 
very  high.  Besides,  where  could  you  go?  There  are 
three  hundred  miles  of  almost  impassable  country 
between  you  and  the  nearest  British  post. 

TRAHERNE.  In  that  case.  Prince,  how  do  you  com- 
municate with  India?  How  has  this  news  reached 
you? 


48  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

RAJA.  Does  that  puzzle  you? 

TRAHERNE.  Naturally. 

RAJA.  You  don't  guess? 

TRAHERNE.  We  have  been  trying  to.  The  only  thing  we 
could  think  of  was  that  you  must  be  in  wireless  com- 
munication. 

RAJA.  You  observed  nothing  to  confirm  the  idea? 

TRAHERNE.  Why  no. 

RAJA.  Did  you  not  notice  that  the  lights  suddenly  went 
down  ? 

TRAHERNE.  Ycs,  and  at  the  same  time  we  heard  a  pecul- 
iar hissing  sound. 

RAJA.  None  of  you  knew  what  it  meant? 

TRAHERNE.   No. 

RAJA.  Then  you  have  no  knowledge  of  wireless  te- 
legraphy? 

TRAHERNE.    NonC. 

RAJA.  I  may  tell  you,  then,  that  that  hissing  i  s  the 
sound  of  wireless  transmission.  I  a  m  in  communica- 
tion with  India. 

TRAHERNE.    [To  the  others.\    You  see,  I  was  right. 

CRESPiN.  You  have  a  wireless  expert  here  then? 

RAJA.  Watkins, — that  invaluable  fellow — he  is  my 
operator. 

TRAHERNE.  And  with  whom  do  you  communicate? 

RAJA.  Do  you  think  that  quite  a  fair  question.  Doctor? 
Does  it  show  your  usual  tact?  I  have  my  agents — I 
can  say  no  more.  [Pause.]  Shall  I  ring  for  the  ayah, 
Madam,  to  see  you  to  your  room? 

Lucn.i-A.  If  you  please.  \As  he  has  his  finger  on  the 
belly  she  says\  Noj  stay  a  moment.  \R'ises  and  ad- 
vances towards  him.]  Prince,  I  have  two  children. 
If  it  weren't  for  them,  don't  imagine  that  any  of  us 


Act  II  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  49 

would  beg  a  favour  at  your  hands.  But  for  their 
sakes  won't  you  instruct  your  agent  to  communicate 
with  Simla  and  try  to  bring  about  an  exchange — your 
brothers'  lives  for  ours? 

RAJA.  I  am  sorry,  Madam,  but  I  have  already  told  you 
why  that  is  impossible.  Even  if  your  Government 
agreed,  it  would  assuredly  take  revenge  on  me  for 
having  extorted  such  a  concession.  No  whisper  of 
your  presence  here  must  ever  reach  India,  or — again 
forgive  the  vulgarism — my  goose  is  cooked. 

LuciLLA.  The  thought  of  my  children  does  not  move 
you? 

RAJA.  My  brothers  have  children — does  the  thought  of 
them  move  the  Government  of  India?  No,  Madam, 
I  am  desolated  to  have  to  refuse  you,  but  you 
must  not  ask  for  the  impossible.  [He  presses  the 
bell.] 

LUCILLA.  Does  it  not  strike  you  that,  if  you  drive  us 
to  desperation,  we  may  find  means  of  cheating  your 
Goddess?  What  is  to  prevent  me,  for  instance,  from 
throwing  myself  from  that  loggia? 

RAJA.  Nothing,  dear  lady,  except  that  clinging  to  the 
known,  and  shrinking  from  the  unknown,  that  all  of 
us  feel,  even  while  we  despise  it.  Besides,  it  would  be 
foolishly  precipitate,  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 
While  there  is  life  there  is  hope.  You  can't  read  my 
mind.  For  aught  you  can  tell,  I  may  have  no  inten- 
tion of  proceeding  to  extremities,  and  may  only  be 
playing  a  little  joke  upon  you.  I  hope  you  have  ob- 
served that  I  have  a  sense  of  humour.  [The  Ayah 
enters.]  Ah,  here  is  the  ayah.  Good  night.  Madam j 
sleep  well.  [Bows  her  to  the  door.  Exit  Lucilla  with 
Ayah.]  Gentlemen,  a  whiskey  and  soda.  No?  Then 


50  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  II 

good  night,  good  night.  [Exeunt  Crespin  and  Tra- 

HERNE.] 

[The  Raja  takes  jrotn  the  table  a  fowerful 
electric  torchy  and  switches  it  on.  Then  he  switches 
off  the  lights  of  the  room^  which  is  totally  dark 
except  for  the  now  moonlit  background.  He  goes 
wp  to  the  idol  on  the  mantel-piece ^  throws  the  light 
of  the  torch  upon  ity  and  makes  it  an  ironic  salaam. 
Then  he  lights  himself  towards  the  door^  lefty  as^ 

THE    CURTAIN    FALLS 


ACT  THIRD 

The  Raja's  Snuggery.  An  entirely  Eurofean  and  mod- 
ern room;  its  comfort  contrasting  with  the  old- 
fashioned,  comfortless  s-plendour  of  the  scene  of  Act 
11. 

A  door  in  front  ^  left,  of  ens  on  the  billiard-room;  an- 
other, a  little  further  hack,  leads  to  the  rest  of  the 
falace.  A  large  and  solid  folding  door  in  the  back 
ivall,  centre.  To  the  right,  a  large  of  en  window  with 
a  shallow  balcony,  which  has  the  effect  of  being  at  a 
great  height,  and  commands  a  view  across  the  valley 
to  the  snow-feaks  beyond. 

On  the  right,  near  the  window,  a  handsome  fedestal 
writing  table,  with  a  large  and  heavy  swivel  chair 
behind  it.  Silver  fittings  on  the  table,  all  in  ferfect 
order.  Close  to  the  nearer  end  of  the  writing  table, 
a  revolving  bookcase,  containing  the  Encyclopaedia 
Britannica  and  other  books  of  reference.  On  the  tof 
of  it  a  tantalus  with  a  syphon  and  glasses.  Close  up 
to  the  writing  table,  and  about  of  equal  length,  a 
deeply  upholstered  green  leather  sofa.  Further  over 
towards  the  left,  a  small  table  with  s^noking  appli- 
ances. On  each  side  of  the  table  a  comfortable  green 
leather  arm-chair.  No  small  chairs.  Low  bookcases, 
filled  with  serious-looking  modern  books,  against  the 
walls,  wherever  there  is  space  for  them.  On  the  top 
of  one  of  the  bookcases  a  large  bronze  bust  of  Na- 
poleo7t.  A  black  and  white  portrait  of  Nietzsche  on 
the  wall,  along  with  some  sporting  prints. 

51 


52  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

Crespin  discovered  alone y  wandering  around  the  rooiriy 
nervous  and  irritable.  He  tries  the  door  at  back;  it  is 
locked.  0-pens  the  door  down  leftj  and  closes  it,  mut- 
tering " Billiards y  begad!"  Crosses  to  the  writing 
tabley  examines  the  articles  ufon  it,  and  picks  uf  a 
-paper  which  proves  to  be  "La  Vie  Parisienne."  He 
throws  it  down  with  the  comment,  "French  muck!" 
Notices  a  paper  on  the  couch,  picks  it  up  and  says  with 
disgust,  "Russia7t."  Then  he  comes  down  to  the  re- 
volving bookcase,  glances  at  the  books  and  spins  it 
angrily.  After  a  moment* s  hesitation,  he  pours  some 
whiskey  into  a  tumbler  and  fills  it  fro7n  the  syphon. 
Is  on  the  point  of  drinking,  but  hesitates,  then  says, 
"No!"  Goes  to  the  balcony  and  throws  out  the  con- 
tents of  the  glass.  As  he  is  setting  the  glass  down, 
Traherne  enters,  second  door  left,  ushered  in  by  a 
Soldier,  who  salutes  and  exit. 

CRESPIN.  There!  You  think  youVe  caught  me! 

traherne.  Caught  you? 

crespin.  Lushing.  But  I  haven't  been.  I  threw  the  stuff 
out  of  the  window.  For  Lucilla's  sake,  I  must  keep 
all  my  wits  about  me. 

TRAHERNE.  Yes,  if  wc  Can  all  do  that,  we  may  pull 
through  yet. 

crespin.  Did  you  sleep? 

TRAHERNE.  Not  a  wink.  And  you? 

crespin.  Dozed  and  woke  again  fifteen  times  in  a  min- 
ute. A  hellish  night. 

TRAHERNE.  Have  you  news  of  Mrs.  Crespin? 

crespin.  She  sent  me  this  chit.  [Hands  him  a  scrap  of 
paper.  ] 

traherne.  [Reads.]  "Have  slept  and  am  feeling  bet- 
ter. Keep  the  flag  flying."  What  pluck  she  has! 

CRESPIN.  Yes,  she's  game — always  was. 


Act  III  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  53 

TRAHERNE.  She  reminds  me  of  the  women  in  the 
French  Revolution.  We  might  all  be  in  the  Con- 
ciergerie,  waiting  to  hear  the  tumbrils. 

CRESPiN.  It  would  be  more  endurable  if  we  w  e  r  e  in 
prison.  It's  this  appearance  of  freedom — the  scoun- 
drel's damned  airs  of  politeness  and  hospitality — that 
makes  the  thing  such  a  nightmare.  [Mechanically 
fnixing  himself  a  ijohiskey  and  soda.]  Do  you  believe 
we're  really  awake,  Traherne?  If  I  were  alone,  I'd 
think  the  whole  thing  w  a  s  a  blasted  nightmare  j  but 
Lucilla  and  you  seem  to  be  dreaming  it  too.  [Raising 
the  glass  to  his  li-pSy  he  remembers  and  futs  it  down 
again,  saying:]  Damn! 

TRAHERNE.  Some  day  we  may  look  back  upon  it  as  on  a 
bad  dream. 

CRESPIN.  He  does  you  well,  curse  him!  They  served  me 
a  most  dainty  chota  hazri  this  morning,  and  with  it 
a  glass  of  rare  old  fine  champagne. 

TRAHERNE.  [Pointing  to  the  door,  down  left.]  Where 
does  that  door  lead? 

CRESPIN.  To  a  billiard-room.  Billiards!  Ha,  ha! 

TRAHERNE.  [At  door,  centre.]  And  this  one? 

CRESPIN.  I  don't  know.  It's  locked — and  a  very  solid 
door,  too. 

TRAHERNE.  Do  you  know  what  I  think? 

CRESPIN.  Yes,  and  I  agree  with  you. 

TRAHERNE.  Opening  off  the  fellow's  own  sanctum — 

CRESPIN.  It's  probably  the  wireless  room.  [They  ex- 
change significant  glances.] 

TRAHERNE.  [Indicating  the  window.]  And  what's  out 
here? 

CRESPIN.  Take  a  look. 

TRAHERNE.  [hooking  over.]  A  sheer  drop  of  a  hun- 
dred feet. 


54  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

CRESPiN.  And  a  dry  torrent  below.  How  if  we  were  to 
pick  up  our  host,  Traherne,  and  gently  drop  him  on 
those  razor-edged  rocks? 

TRAHERNE.  [Skrugs  lus  shoulders.\  As  he  said  last 
night,  they'd  only  tear  us  to  pieces  the  quicker. 

CRESPIN.  If  it  weren't  for  Lucilla,  I'm  damned  if  I 
wouldn't  do  it  all  the  same. 

[  The  Raja  enters^  second  door  lefty  dressed  in 
sfick-and-sfan  up-to-date  riding  attire.  He  crosses 
to  the  writing  table.  \ 

RAJA.  Good  morning.  Major 3  good  morning,  Doctor. 
How  do  you  like  my  snuggery?  I  hope  you  have 
slept  well?  yrhey  make  no  answer. \  No?  Ah,  per- 
haps you  find  this  altitude  trying?  Never  mind.  We 
have  methods  of  dealing  with  insomnia. 

CRESPIN.  Come  now,  Raja,  a  joke's  a  joke,  but  this  cat- 
and-mouse  business  gets  on  one's  nerves.  Make  ar- 
rangements to  send  us  back  to  the  nearest  British  out- 
post, and  we'll  give  you  our  Bible  oath  to  say  nothing 
about  the — pleasantry  you've  played  on  us. 

RAJA.  Send  you  back,  my  dear  Major?  I  assure  you,  if 
I  were  ever  so  willing,  it  would  be  as  much  as  my 
place  is  worth.  You  don't  know  how  my  faithful  sub- 
jects are  looking  forward  to  tomorrow's  ceremony. 
If  I  tried  to  cancel  it,  there  would  be  a  revolution. 
You  must  be  reasonable,  my  dear  sir. 

CRESPIN.  Do  you  think  we  would  truckle  to  you,  damn 
you,  if  it  weren't  for  my  wife's  sake?  But  for  her 
we'll  make  any  concession — promise  you  anything. 

RAJA.  What  can  you  promise  that  is  worth  a  brass  far- 
thing to  me?  [  Willi  sudden  ferocity. \  No.  Asia  has  a 
long  score  against  you  swaggering,  blustering,  whey- 
faced  lords  of  creation,  and,  by  all  the  gods!  I  mean 
to  see  some  of  it  paid  tomorrow!    [Resuming  his 


Act  III  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  55 

suave  manner.  \  But  in  the  meantime  there  is  no  rea- 
son why  we  shouldn't  behave  like  civilized  beings. 
How  would  you  like  to  pass  the  morning?  I'm  sorry 
I  can't  offer  you  any  shooting.  I  mustn't  lead  you 
into  temptation.  What  do  you  say  to  billiards?  It 
soothes  the  nerves.  [Opening  the  door.]  Here  is  the 
billiard-room.  I  have  a  little  business  to  attend  to,  but 
I'll  join  you  presently. 
CRESPiN.  Of  all  the  infernal  purring  devils — ! 
RAJA.  Dignity,  Major,  dignity! 

[Traherne  interposes  and  shepherds  the 
Major  ojf.  The  click  of  billiard-balls  is  pres- 
ently heard.  The  Raja  seats  himself  at  the  writing 
table  and  presses  a  bell.  Then  he  takes  up  a  pad  of 
paper  and  pencil^  and  taps  his  teethy  cogitating 
what  to  write.  In  a  few  moments  Watkins  en- 
ters. ] 
WATKINS.  Your  Highness  rang? 

raja.  Come  in,  Watkins.  Just  close  the  billiard-room 
door,  will  you?    [Watkins  looks  into  the  billiard- 
room  and  then  closes  the  door.] 
WATKINS.  They're  good  pluck'd  uns,  sir  j  I  will  say  that. 
raja.  Yes,  there's  some  satisfaction  in  handling  them. 
I'm  glad  they're  not  abject — it  would  quite  spoil  the 
sport. 
WATKINS.  Quite  so,  sir. 

RAJA.  But  it  has  occurred  to  me,  Watkins,  that  perhaps 
■  it's  not  quite  safe  to  have  them  so  near  the  wireless 
room.  Their  one  chance  would  be  to  get  into  com- 
munication with  India.  They  appeared  last  night  to 
know  nothing  about  the  wireless,  but  I  have  my 
doubts.  Tell  me,  Watkins — have  they  made  any  at- 
tempt to  bribe  you? 
WATKINS.  Not  yet,  sir. 


56  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

RAJA.  Ha,  that  looks  bad.  It  looks  as  if  they  had  some- 
thing else  up  their  sleeves,  and  were  leaving  bribery 
to  the  last  resort.  I  want  to  test  their  ignorance  of 
wireless.  I  want  you,  in  their  presence,  to  send  out 
some  message  that  is  bound  to  startle  or  enrage  them, 
and  see  if  they  show  any  sign  of  understanding  it. 
WATKiNs.  [Grinning.]  That's  a  notion,  sir. 
RAJA.  But  I  can't  think  of  a  message. 

[  The  Ayah  opens  the  second  door,  lefty  ushers 
in  LuciLLA,  and  exit.  Lucilla  has  resumed  her 
travelling  dress.  The  Raja  has  been  examining  the 
lock  of  the  wireless  room^  and  is  thus  partly  con- 
cealed by  the  entrance  door  as  it  openSy  so  that 
Lucilla  is  well  into  the  room  before  she  observes 
him.  He  co7nes  forward.] 
raja.  Ah,  Mrs.  Crespin,  I  was  just  thinking  of  you. 
Think  of  angels  and  you  hear  their  wings.  Won't  you 
sit  down? 
LUCILLA.  [Ignoring  his  invitation.]  I  thought  my  hus- 
band was  here. 
RAJA.  He's  not  far  off.  [7*0  Watkins,  pointing  to  the 
centre  door.]  Just  wait  in  there  for  a  few  minutes j 
I  may  have  instructions  for  you. 

[Watkins  produces  a  key-ringy  selects  a  keyy 
unlocks  the  door  of  the  wireless-roomy  and  goes 
ifiy  closing  the  door  behind  him.] 
RAJA.   [To  Lucilla,  who  has  stood  motionless.]  Do, 
pray,  sit  down.  I  want  so  much  to  have  a  chat  with 
you.  [Lucilla  seats  herself y  in  silence.]  I  hope  you 
had  everything  you  required? 
lucilla.  Everything. 
RAJA.  The  ayah? 
lucilla.  Was  most  attentive. 
RAJA.  And  you  slept — ? 


Act  III  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  57 

LuciLLA.  More  or  less. 

RAJA.  More  rather  than  less,  if  one  may  judge  by  your 
looks. 

LUCILLA.  Does  it  matter? 

RAJA.  What  can  matter  more  than  the  looks  of  a  beauti- 
ful woman? 

LUCILLA.  [Lislening.]  What's  that? 

RAJA.  The  click  of  billiard-balls.  Your  husband  and 
Dr.  Traherne  are  passing  the  time. 

LUCILLA.  [Rising.]  If  you'll  excuse  me,  I'll  join  them. 

RAJA.  Oh,  pray  spare  me  a  few  moments.  I  want  to 
speak  to  you  seriously. 

LUCILLA,  [Sitting  down  again.]  Well — I  am  listening. 

RAJA.  You  are  very  curt,  Mrs.  Crespin.  I'm  afraid  you 
bear  me  malice, — you  hold  me  responsible  for  the 
doubtless  trying  situation  in  which  you  find  your- 
self. 

LUCILLA.  Who  else  is  responsible? 

RAJA.  Who?  Why  chance,  fate,  the  gods.  Providence — 
whoever,  or  whatever,  pulls  the  strings  of  this  unac- 
countable puppet-show.  Did  /  bring  you  here?  Did 
I  conjure  up  the  fog?  Could  /  have  prevented  your 
dropping  from  the  skies?  And  when  once  you  had  set 
foot  in  the  Goddess's  precinct,  it  was  utterly  out  of 
my  power  to  save  you — at  any  rate  the  men  of  your 
party.  If  I  raised  a  finger  to  thwart  the  Goddess,  it 
would  be  the  end  of  my  rule — perhaps  of  my  life. 

LUCILLA.  You  know  that  is  not  true.  You  could  easily 
smuggle  us  away,  and  then  face  the  people  out.  What 
about  your  troops? 

RAJA.  A  handful,  dear  lady — a  toy  army.  It  amuses  me 
to  play  at  soldiers.  They  could  do  nothing  against 
priests  and  people,  even  if  they  were  to  be  depended 
upon.  And  they,  too,  worship  the  Goddess. 


58  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

LuciLLA.  What  you  really  mean,  Raja,  is  that  you  dare 
not  risk  it — you  haven't  the  courage. 

RAJA.  You  take  a  mean  advantage,  Madam.  You  abuse 
the  privilege  of  your  sex  in  order  to  taunt  me  with 
cowardice. 

LUCILLA.  Let  us  say,  then,  that  you  haven't  the  w  i  1 1  to 
save  us. 

RAJA.  Reflect  one  moment,  Madam — why  should  I 
have  the  will,  at  the  risk  of  all  I  possess,  to  save 
Major  Crespin  and  Dr.  Traherne?  Major  Crespin  is 
your  husband — does  that  recommend  him  to  me? 
Forgive  me  if  I  venture  to  guess  that  it  doesn't 
greatly  recommend  him  to  y  o  u  .  He  is  an  only  too 
typical  specimen  of  a  breed  I  detest:  pigheaded,  bull- 
necked,  blustering,  overbearing.  Dr.  Traherne  is  an 
agreeable  man  enough — I  daresay  a  man  of  genius — 

LUCILLA.  If  you  kill  him — if  you  cut  short  his  work — 
you  kill  millions  of  your  own  race,  whom  he  would 
have  saved. 

RAJA.  I  don't  know  that  I  care  very  much  about  the 
millions  you  speak  of.  Life  is  a  weed  that  grows  again 
as  fast  as  death  mows  it  down.  At  all  events,  he  is  an 
Englishman,  a  Feringhi — and,  may  I  add,  without 
indiscretion,  that  the  interest  you  take  in  him — oh, 
the  merest  friendly  interest,  I  am  sure — does  not  en- 
dear him  to  me.  One  is,  after  all,  a  man,  and  the 
favour  shown  to  another  man  by  a  beautiful  woman 
—  fLuciLLA  rises  and  moves  toward  the  billiard- 
room.  The  Raja  inter-proses. \  Please,  please,  Mrs. 
Crespin,  bear  with  me  if  I  transgress  your  Western 
conventions.  Can  I  help  being  an  Oriental?  Believe 
me,  I  mean  no  harm;  I  wanted  to  talk  to  you  about — 

LUCILLA.  Well? 

RAJA.  You  spoke  last  night  of — your  children.   [Lu- 


Act  III  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  59 

ciLLA  turns  away  J  her  self-control  wavering.^  I  think 
you  said — a  boy  and  a  little  girl. 

LuciLLA.  [^Throws  herself  down  on  the  couch  in  a  fit 
of  weeping.]  My  babies,  my  babies! 

RAJA.  I  feel  for  you,  Mrs.  Crespin,  I  do  indeed.  I 
would  do  anything — 

LUCILLA.  [Looking  upy  vehemently.]  Prince,  if  I  write 
them  a  letter  of  farewell,  will  you  give  me  your 
word  of  honour  that  it  shall  reach  them? 

RAJA.  Ah,  there,  Madam,  you  must  pardon  me!  I  have 
already  said  that  the  last  thing  I  desire  is  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  Government  of  India. 

LUCILLA.  I  will  say  nothing  to  show  where  I  am,  or 
what  has  befallen  me.  You  shall  read  it  yourself. 

RAJA.  An  ingenious  idea!  You  would  have  it  come  flut- 
tering down  out  of  the  blue  upon  your  children's 
heads,  like  a  message  from  a  Mahatma.  But,  the 
strength  of  my  position,  you  see,  is  that  no  one  will 
ever  know  what  has  become  of  you.  You  will  simply 
disappear  in  the  uncharted  sea  of  the  Himalayas,  as 
a  ship  sinks  with  all  hands  in  the  ocean.  If  I  per- 
mitted any  word  from  you  to  reach  India,  the  detec- 
tive instinct,  so  deeply  implanted  in  your  race,  would 
be  awakened,  and  the  Himalayas  would  be  combed 
out  with  a  tooth-comb.  No,  Madam,  I  cannot  risk  it. 

LUCILLA.  [Her  calm  recovered.]  Cannot?  You  dare 
not!  But  you  can  and  dare  kill  defenceless  men  and 
women.     Raja,  you  are  a  pitiful  coward. 

RAJA.  Forgive  me  if  I  smile  at  your  tactics.  You  want 
to  goad  me  into  chivalry.  If  every  man  were  a  cow- 
ard who  took  life  without  risking  his  own,  where 
would  your  British  sportsmen  be? 

LUCILLA.  I  beg  your  pardon — a  savage  is  not  nec- 
sarily  a  coward.  And  now  let  me  go  to  my  husband. 


6o  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

RAJA.  Not  yet,  Mrs.  Crespin — one  more  word.  You 
are  a  brave  woman,  and  I  sincerely  admire  you — 

LuciLLA.  Please — please — 

RAJA.  Listen  to  me.  It  will  be  worth  your  while.  I 
could  not  undertake  to  send  a  letter  to  your  children 
— but  it  would  be  very  easy  for  me  to  have  them 
carried  off  and  brought  to  you  here. 

LUCILLA.  [S tarts y  and  faces  him.]  What  do  you  mean? 

RAJA.  I  mean  that,  in  less  than  a  month,  you  may  have 
your  children  in  your  arms,  uninjured,  unsuspect- 
ing, happy— if— 

LUCILLA.  If? 

RAJA.  If — oh,  in  your  own  time,  of  your  own  free  will 
— you  will  accept  the  homage  it  would  be  my  privi- 
lege to  offer  you. 

LUCILLA.  That! 

RAJA.  You  have  the  courage  to  die,  dear  lady — ^why 
not  have  the  courage  to  live? 
[  Pause.  ] 
You  believe,  I  daresay,  that  tomorrow,  when  the 
ordeal  is  over,  you  will  awaken  in  a  new  life,  and 
that  there  your  children  will  rejoin  you.  Suppose 
it  were  so:  suppose  that  in  forty — fifty — sixty  years, 
they  passed  over  to  you:  would  they  be  your  chil- 
dren? Can  God  Himself  give  you  back  their  child- 
hood? What  I  offer  you  is  a  new  life,  not  prob- 
lematical, but  assured^  a  new  life,  without  passing 
through  the  shadow  of  death;  a  future  utterly  cut 
off  from  the  past,  except  that  your  children  will 
be  with  you,  not  as  vague  shades,  but  living  and 
loving.  They  must  be  quite  young;  they  would  soon 
forget  all  that  had  gone  before.  They  would  grow 
to  manhood  and  womanhood  under  your  eyesj  and 
ultimately,  perhaps,  when  the  whole  story  was  for- 


Act  III  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  6i 

gotten,  you  might,  if  you  wished  it,  return  with 
them  to  what  you  call  civilization. 

And  meanwhile,  you  are  only  on  the  threshold 
of  the  best  years  of  your  life.  You  would  pass  them, 
not  as  a  memsahib  in  a  paltry  Indian  cantonment, 
but  as  the  absolute  queen  of  an  absolute  king.  I  do 
not  talk  to  you  of  romantic  love.  I  respect  you  too 
much  to  think  you  accessible  to  silly  sentiment.  But 
that  is  just  it:  I  respect  as  much  as  I  admire  youj 
and  I  have  never  pretended  to  respect  any  other 
woman.  Therefore  I  say  you  should  be  my  first 
and  only  Queen.  Your  son,  if  you  gave  me  one, 
should  be  the  prince  of  princes  j  my  other  sons 
should  all  bow  down  to  him  and  serve  him.  For, 
though  I  hate  the  arrogance  of  Europe,  I  believe 
that  from  a  blending  of  the  flower  of  the  East  with 
the  flower  of  the  West,  the  man  of  the  future — 
the  Superman — may  be  born. 

[LuciLLA  has  sat  motionless  through  all  this 
sfeechy  her  elbows  on  the  end  of  the  conchy  twist- 
ing her  handkerchief  in  her  hands  and  gating 
straight  in  front  of  her.  There  is  now  a  per- 
ceptible 'pause  before  she  speaks  in  a  toneless 
voice.  ] 
LUCILLA.  Is  that  all?  Have  you  quite  done? 
RAJA.  I  beg  you  to  answer. 

LUCILLA.  I  can't  answer  the  greater  part  of  what  you 
have  been  saying,  for  I  have  not  heard  itj  at  least 
I  have  not  understood  it.  All  I  have  heard  is  "In 
less  than  a  month  you  may  have  your  children  in 
your  arms,"  and  then  again,  "Can  God  Himself 
give  you  back  their  childhood?"  These  words  have 
kept  hammering  at  my  brain  till — \Showing  her 
handkerchief  .^  you  see — I  have  bit  my  lip  to  keep 


62  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

from  shrieking  aloud.  I  think  the  devil  must  have 
put  them  in  your  mouth — 

RAJA.  Pooh!  You  don't  believe  in  these  old  bugbears. 

LuciLLA.  Perhaps  not.  But  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
diabolical  temptation,  and  you  have  stumbled  upon 
the  secret  of  it. 

RAJA.  Stumbled! 

LUCILLA.  Mastered  the  art  of  it,  if  you  like — but  not 
in  your  long  harangue.  All  I  can  think  of  is,  "Can 
God  Himself  give  you  back  their  childhood?"  and 
"In  a  month  you  may  have  them  in  your  arms." 

RAJA.  [Eagerly.]  Yes,  yes — think  of  that.  In  three  or 
four  weeks  you  may  have  your  little  ones — 

LUCILLA.  [Rising  and  interrupting  him  vehemently.] 
Yes — but  on  what  conditions?  That  I  should  desert 
my  husband  and  my  friend — should  let  them  go 
alone  to  their  death — should  cower  in  some  back 
room  of  this  murderous  house  of  yours,  listening 
to  the  ticking  of  the  clock,  and  thinking,  "Now — 
now — the  stroke  has  fallen" — stopping  my  ears  so 
as  not  to  hear  the  yells  of  your  bloodthirsty  savages 
— and  yet,  perhaps,  hearing  nothing  else  to  my  dy- 
ing day.  No,  Prince! — you  said  something  about 
not  passing  through  the  shadow  of  death  j  but  if  I 
did  this  I  should  not  pass  through  it,  but  live  in  it, 
and  bring  my  children  into  it  as  well.  What  would 
be  the  good  of  having  them  in  my  arms  if  I  could 
not  look  them  in  the  face?  [She  passes  to  the  billiard- 
room  door.] 

RAJA.  That  is  your  answer? 

LUCILLA.  The  only  possible  answer.  [She  enters  the 
billiard-room  and  closes  the  door.] 

RAJA.  [Looking  after  her,  to  himself:]  But  not  the 
last  word,  my  lady! 


Act  III  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  63 

[He  sits  at  the  writing  table y  and  begins  to 

writey  at  the  same  time  callingy  not  very  loudly y 

"Watkins!"    The    valet    immediately    a-pfearsy 

centre.  ] 

WATKINS.  Yessir? 

RAJA.  [Tearing  a  sheet  off  the  fad  and  handing  it  to 

him.]  Read  that. 
WATKINS.  A  message  to  be  sent  out,  sir? 
RAJA.  Yes. 
WATKINS.   [Reading.]   "The  lady  has  come  to  terms. 

She  will  enter  His  Highness's  household."  Quite 

so,  sir.  What  suite  will  she  occupy? 
RAJA.  My  innocent  Watkins!   Do  you  think  it's  true? 

What  have  I  to  do  with  a  stuck-up  Englishwoman? 

It's  only  a  bait  for  the  Feringhis.  You  shall  send  it 

out  in  their  hearing,  and  if  either  of  them  can  read 

the  Morse  code,  the  devil's  in  it  if  he  doesn't  give 

himself  away. 
WATKINS.  Beg  pardon,  sirj  I  didn't  quite  catch  on. 
RAJA.  If  they  move  an  eyelash  I'll  take  care  they  never 

see  the  inside  of  this  room  again. 
WATKINS.  Am  I  to  send  this  to  India,  sir? 
RAJA.  To  anywhere  or  nowhere.  Reduce  the  current, 

so  that  no  one  can  pick  it  up.  So  long  as  it's  heard 

in  this  room,  that's  all  I  want. 
WATKINS.  But  when  am  I  to  send  it,  sir? 
RAJA.  Listen.  I'll  get  them  in  here  on  the  pretext  of 

a  little  wireless  demonstration,   and  then   I'll   tell 

you  to  send  out  an  order  to  Tashkent  for  champagne. 

That'll  be  your  cue.  Go  ahead — and  send  slowly. 
WATKINS.  Shall  I  ask  you  whether  I'm  to  code  it,  sir? 
RAJA.  You  may  as  well.  It'll  give  artistic  finish  to  the 

thing. 
WATKINS.  Very  good.  Your  'Ighness.  But  afterwards, 


64  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

— if,  as  you  was  saying,  they  was  to  try  to  corrupt 

me,  sir — 
RAJA.  Corrupt  you?  That  would  be  painting  the  lily 

with  a  vengeance. 
WATKiNs.  [With  a  touch  of  annoyance.]  Suppose  they 

tries  to  get  at  me,  sir — what  are  your  instructions? 
RAJA.  How  do  you  mean? 
WATKINS.  Shall  I  let  on  to  take  the  bait? 
RAJA.  You  may  do  exactly  as  you  please.  I  have  the 

most  implicit  confidence  in  you,  Watkins. 
WATKINS.  You  are  very  good,  sir. 
RAJA.  I  know  that  anything  they  can  offer  you  would 

have  to  be  paid  either  in  England  or  in  India,  and 

that  you  daren't  show  your  nose  in  either  country. 

You  have  a  very  comfortable  job  here — 
WATKINS.  My  grateful  thanks  to  you,  sir. 
RAJA.  And  you  don't  want  to  give  the  hangman  a  job, 

either  in  Lahore  or  in  London. 
WATKINS.  The  case  in  a  nutshell,  sir.  But  I  thought  if 

I  was  to  pretend  to  send  a  message  for  them,  it 

might  keep  them  quiet-like. 
RAJA.   Very  true,  Watkins.   It  would  not  only  keep 

them  quiet,  but  the  illusion  of  security  would  raise 

their  spirits,  which  would  be  a  humane  action.   I 

am  always  on  the  side  of  humanity. 
WATKINS.  Just  so,  sir.  Then  I'll  humour  them. 
RAJA.  Yes,  if  they  want  you  to  send  a  message.  If  they 

try  to  "get  at,"  not  only  you,  but  the  instrument, 

call  the  guard  and  let  me  know  at  once. 
WATKINS.  Certainly,  sir. 
RAJA.  Now  open  the  door  and  stand  by.  You  have  the 

message? 
WATKINS.  \ Producing  the  slip  from  his  -pockety  reads:] 

"The  lady  has  come  to  terms.  She — " 


Act  III  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  65 

RAJA.  [Interrupting.]  Yes,  that's  right.  [As  Watkins 
is  opening  the  door.]  Oh,  look  here — when  you've 
finished,  you'd  better  lock  the  door,  and  say,  "Any 
orders,  sir?"  If  I  say  "No  orders,  Watkins,"  it'll 
mean  I'm  satisfied  they  don't  understand.  If  I  think 
they  d  o  understand,  I'll  give  you  what  orders  I 
think  necessary. 
WATKINS.  Very  good,  sir. 

[He  opens  the  folding  doors  widey  revealing 

a  small  room^  in  which  is  a  wireless  installation.] 

RAJA.   [At  billiard-room  door.]  Oh,  Major,  you  were 

saying  you  had  no  experience  of  wireless.  If  you've 

finished  your  game,  it  might  amuse  you  to  see  it  at 

work.  Watkins  is  just  going  to  send  out  a  message. 

Would  Mrs.  Crespin  care  to  come? 

CRESPiN.   [At  door.]  Yes — why  not?  Will  you  come, 

Lucilla? 

[Crespin  enters ^  followed  by   Lucilla  and 
Traherne.  The  Raja  eyes  them  closely  so  that 
they  have  no  opportunity  to  make  any  sign  to 
each  other.] 
RAJA.  This,  you  see,  is  the  apparatus.  All  ready,  Wat- 
kins?   [To  the  others:]  Won't  you  sit  down?    [To 
Watkins:]  You  have  the  order  for  Tashkent? 
watkins.  ['Producing  paper.]  Yes,  Your  'Ighnessj  but 

I  haven't  coded  it. 
raja.  Oh,  never  mindj  send  it  in  clear.  Even  if  some 
outsider  does  pick  it  up,  I  daresay  we  can  order  three 
cases   of  champagne  without   causing  international 
complications. 

[Crespin  and  Traherne  sit  in  the  arm-chair Sy 
left.  Lucilla  is  about  to  sit  on  the  couch y  but  see- 
ing the  Raja  7nake  a  move  to  sit  beside  hery  she 
passes  behind  the  writing  table  and  sits  in  the 


66  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

swivel  chair.  The  Raja  sits  on  the  sofa.  Wat- 
kins  begins  to  transmit y — -pauses.] 

RAJA.  He's  waiting  for  the  reply  signal. 
[A  pause.] 

CRESPiN.  May  I  take  one  of  your  excellent  cigars, 
Raja? 

RAJA.  By  all  means. 

[Crespin  lights  a  cigar.] 

WATKiNS.  I've  got  them.  \Proceeds  to  send  the  mes- 
sage: "The  lady  has  co^ne  to  terms,"  etc.] 

CRESPIN.  [A  moment  after  the  transmission  has  be- 
gun y  says  in  a  low  voice  to  the  Raja:]  May  we 
speak? 

RAJA.  Oh,  yes — you  won't  be  heard  in  Tashkent. 

CRESPIN.  [Holding  out  his  cigarette  case.]  Have  a 
cigarette,  Traherne. 

TRAHERNE.  Thanks.  [He  takes  a  cigarette.  Crespin 
strikes  a  match  and  lights  the  cigarette,  saying  mean- 
while:] 

CRESPIN.  Let  us  smoke  and  drink,  for  tomorrow  we — 
[Blows  out  the  match.] 

[Silence  until  the  trans^nission  ends.] 

RAJA.  That's  how  it's  done! 

TRAHERNE.  How  many  words  did  he  send? 

RAJA.  What  was  it,  Watkins?  "Forward  by  tomorrow's 
caravan  twelve  cases  champagne.  Usual  brand. 
Charge  our  account" j  was  that  it? 

WATKINS.  That's  right,  sir. 

RAJA.  Twelve  words. 

CRESPIN.  And  can  they  really  make  sense  out  of  these 
fireworks? 

RAJA.  I  hope  so — else  we  shall  run  short  of  champagne. 

WATKINS.  [Locking  the  folding  door.]  Any  orders, 
Your  'Ighness? 


Act  III  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  67 

RAJA.  No  orders,  Watkins. 

[As  he  is  going  out^  Watkins  meets  at  the  door 
a  Soldier,  who  says  a  few  words  to  him.] 
watkins.  [Turning.]  The  'Igh  Priest  is  waiting  to  see 

Your  'Ighness. 
raja.  Oh,  show  him  in. 

[Watkins  ushers  in  the  High  Priest  of  the 
Goddess,  and  then  exit.  The  High  Priest's  per- 
sonality is  unmistakably  sinister.  The  Raja,  ajter 
a  word  of  greeting  J  turns  to  the  others.] 
RAJA.  I  mentioned  my  Archbishop  of  York.  This  is  he. 
Allow  me  to  introduce  you.  Your  Grace,  Mrs.  Cres- 
pin — Major  Crespin — Dr.  Traherne. 

[The  Priest,  understanding  the  situation^ 
makes  a  sort  of  contemptuous  salaam.] 
The  Archbishop's  manners  are  not  good.  You  will 
excuse  him.  He  regards  you,  I  regret  to  say,  as  un- 
clean creatures,  whose  very  presence  means  pollu- 
tion. He  would  be  a  mine  of  information  for  an 
anthropologist. 

[He  exchanges  a  few  words  with  the  Priest, 
and  turns  again  to  his  guests.] 
His  Grace  reminds  me  of  some  arrangements  for 
tomorrow's  ceremony,  which,  as  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  I  must  attend  to  in  person.  You  will 
excuse  me  for  half  an  hour?  Pray  make  yourselves 
at  home.  Tiffin  at  half  past  twelve. 

[He  s-peaks  a  few  words  to  the  Priest,  who  re- 
flies  in  a  sort  of  growl.] 
His  Grace  says  au  revoir — and  so  do  I 

[Exity  followed  by  the  Priest.  Both  Tra- 
herne and  LuciLLA  are  about  to  sfeak.  Crespin 
-motions  them  to  be  cautious.  He  goes  to  the 
billiard-roomy  opens  the  doory  looks  around  and 


68  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

closes  it  again.  Lucilla  examines  the  balcony. 
Traherne  slfps  up  to  the  centre  door  and,  noise- 
lessly tests  it.\ 

TRAHERNE.  [  To  Crespin.]  What  was  the  message? 

CRESPiN.  It  said  that  the  lady  had  accepted  her  life 
— on  his  terms. 

traherne.  Oh! — a  trap  for  us. 

CRESPIN.  Yes.  A  put-up  job. 

LUCILLA.  You  gave  no  sign,  Antony.  I  think  he  must 
have  been  reassured. 

TRAHERNE.  Evidently  J  or  he  wouldn't  have  left  us 
here. 

CRESPIN.  What  to  do  now? 

TRAHERNE.  Can  we  break  open  the  door? 

CRESPIN.  No  good.  It  would  make  a  noise.  We'd  be 
interrupted,  and  then  it  would  be  all  up. 

TRAHERNE.  Well,  then,  the  next  step  is  to  try  to  bribe 
Watkins. 

CRESPIN.  I  don't  believe  it's  a  bit  of  good. 

TRAHERNE.  Nor  I.  The  fcUow's  a  thorough-paced 
scoundrel.  But  we  might  succeed,  and  if  we  don't 
even  try  they'll  suspect  that  we're  plotting  some- 
thing else.  If  we  can  convince  them  that  we're  at  our 
wits'  end,  we've  the  better  chance  of  taking  them 
off  their  guard. 

LUCILLA.  Yes — you  see  that,  Antony? 

CRESPIN.  Perhaps  you're  right.  But,  even  if  the  damned 
scoundrel  can  be  bought,  what  good  is  it  if  I  can't 
remember  the  wave-length  and  the  call  for  Amil- 
Serai  ? 

LUCILLA.  You'll  think  of  it  all  of  a  sudden. 

CRESPIN.  Not  if  I  keep  racking  my  brains  for  it.  If  I 
could  get  my  mind  off  it,  the  damned  thing  might 
come  back  to  me. 


Act  III  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  69 

TRAHERNE.  All  the  morc  reason  for  action.  But  first, 

we  must  settle  what  message  to  send  if  we  get  the 

chance. 
LuciLLA.   [Sits  at  writing-table.']   Dictate — I'll  write. 
TRAHERNE.  What  about  this?   "Major  Crespin,  wife, 

Traherne  imprisoned,  Rukh,  Raja's  palace,  lives  in 

danger." 

[LuciLLA  writes  on  an  envelope  which  she 
takes  from  the  fafer-case.] 
CRESPIN.  We  want  something  more  definite. 
LUCILLA.  How  would  this  do?  "Death  threatened  to- 
morrow evening.  Rescue  urgent." 
TRAHERNE.  Excellent. 

[LuciLLA  finishes  the  message y  and  hands  it 
to  Crespin.] 
CRESPIN.    [Reads.]   "Major  Crespin,  wife,  Traherne, 

imprisoned,  Rukh,  Raja's  palace.  Death  threatened 

tomorrow    evening.    Rescue    urgent."    [Takes    the 

paper.]  Right.  I'll  keep  it  ready. 
TRAHERNE.  Now,  how  to  get  hold  of  Watkins? 
LUCILLA.  [At  the  table.]  There's  a  bell  here.  Shall  I 

try  it? 
TRAHERNE.  Hold  on  a  moment.  We  have  to  decide 

what  to  do  if  he  won't  take  money,  and  we  have  to 

use  force  in  order  to  get  his  keys. 
CRESPIN.   [Looking  around.]   There's  nothing  here  to 

knock  him  on  the  head  with — not  even  a  chair  you 

can  lift — 
TRAHERNE.  Not  2.  curtain  cord  to  truss  him  up  with — 
LUCILLA.  The  first  thing  would  be  to  gag  him,  wouldn't 

it?  [Takes  off  her  scarf.]  Would  this  do  for  that? 
TRAHERNE.  Capital!    [Takes  the  scarfs  ties  a  knot  in 

ity  and  places  it  on  the  upper  end  of  the  sofa.  ] 
CRESPIN.  What  about  a  billiard  cue? 


70  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

TRAHERNE.  If  he  saw  it  around  he'd  smell  a  rat. 

CRESPiN.  Then  there's  only  one  thing — 

TRAHERNE.  What?  [Crespin  points  to  the  balcony y  and 
makes  a  significant  gesture. \ 

LuciLLA.  Oh!   {^Shrinks  away  from  the  window.'] 

TRAHERNE.  I'm  afraid  it  can't  be  helped.  There's  a 
drop  of  a  good  hundred  feet. 

CRESPIN.  None  too  much  for  him. 

TRAHERNE.  When  he  locked  that  door  he  put  the  key 
in  his  trousers  pocket.  We  must  remember  to  get 
it  before — 

LUCILLA.  But  if  you  kill  him  and  still  don't  remember 
the  call,  we  shall  be  no  better  off  than  we  are  now. 

TRAHERNE.  We  shall  be  no  worse  off. 

CRESPIN.  Better,  by  Jove!  For  if  I  can  get  three  min- 
utes at  that  instrument,  the  Raja  can't  tell  whether 
we  have  communicated  or  not.  [He  takes  up  the  glass 
of  whiskey -and-so da  which  he  has  poured  out  be- 
fore. ] 

LUCILLA.  Oh,  Antony! 

CRESPIN.  Don't  be  a  fool,  Lu.  [Gulps  down  the  drinky 
and  says  as  he  pours  out  more  whiskey:]  It's  be- 
cause I'm  so  unnaturally  sober  that  my  brain  won't 
work.  [Drinks  the  whiskey  raw.]  Now  ring  that 
bell.  [LuciLLA  does  so.]  You  do  the  talking,  Tra- 
herne.  The  fellow's  damned  insolence  gets  on  my 
nerves. 

TRAHERNE.  All  right.   [Sits  at  the  writing  table.] 

CRESPIN.  Look  out — 

[Enter  Watkins,  second  doory  left.] 

WATKiNS.  You  rang,  sir?  [Standing  by  the  door.] 

TRAHERNE.  Ycs,  Watkins,  we  want  a  few  words  with 
you.  Do  you  mind  coming  over  here?  We  don't 
want  to  speak  loud. 


Act  III  THE   GREEN   GODDESS  71 

WATKiNS.  There's  no  one  understands  English,  sir. 
TRAHERNE.  Please  oblige  me,  all  the  same. 
WATKINS.   [Coming  forward.^  Now,  sir! 
TRAHERNE.  I  daresay  you  can  guess  what  we  want  with 

you. 
WATKINS.  Pm  no  'and  at  guessin',  sir.  Pd  rather  you'd 

put  it  plain. 
TRAHERNE.  Well,  you  know  that  we've  fallen  into  the 

hands  of  bloodthirsty  savages?   You  know  what  is 

proposed  for  tomorrow? 
WATKINS.  Pve  'eard  as  your  numbers  is  up. 
TRAHERNE.  You  surely  don't  intend  to  stand  by  and 

see  us  murdered — three  of  your  own  people,  and 

one  of  them  a  lady? 
WATKINS.  My  own  people,  is  it?  And  a  1  a  d  y  — ! 
LuciLLA.  A  woman,  then,  Watkins. 
WATKINS.  What  has  my  own  people  ever  done  for  me 

— or  women  either — that  I  should  lose  a  cushy  job 

and  risk  my  neck  for  the  sake  of  the  three  of  you? 

I  wouldn't  do  it  for  all  your  bloomin'  England,  I 

tell  you  straight. 
CRESPiN.  It's  no  good,  Traherne.  Come  down  to  tin 

tacks. 
TRAHERNE.  Only  a  sighting  shot,  Major.  It  was  just 

possible  we  might  have  misread  our  man. 
WATKINS.  You  did  if  you  took  'im  for  a  V.  C.  'ero  wot 

'ud  lay  down  his  life  for  England,  'ome  and  beauty. 

The  first  thing  England  ever  done  for  me  was  to 

'ave  me  sent  to  a  reformatory  for  pinching  a  silver 

rattle  off  of  a  young  haristocrat  in  a  p'rambulator. 

That,  and  the  likes  of  that,  is  wot  I've  got  to  thank 

England  for.  And  why  did  I  do  it?   Because  my 

mother  would  have  bashed  my  face  in  if  Pd  have 

come   back   empty-handed.    That's   wot    'ome    and 


72  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

beauty  has  meant  for  me.  W^  should  I  care  more 
for  a  woman  being  scragged  than  what  I  do  for  a 
man? 

TRAHERNE.  Ah,  yes,  I  quite  see  your  point  of  view. 
But  the  question  now  is:  What'll  you  t  a  k  e  to  get  us 
out  of  this? 

WATKiNs.  Get  you  out  of  this!  If  you  was  to  offer  me 
millions,  'ow  could  I  do  that? 

TRAHERNE.  By  going  into  that  room  and  sending  this 
message  through  to  the  Amil-Serai  aerodrome. 

[Crespin   hands   Watkins   the   message.   He 
reads  it  through  and  places  it  on  the  table. \ 

WATKINS.  So  that's  the  game,  is  it? 

TRAHERNE.  That,  as  you  say,  is  the  game. 

WATKINS.  You  know  what  you're  riskin'? 

TRAHERNE.  What  do  you  mean? 

WATKINS.  W'y,  if  the  Guv'nor  suspected  as  you'd  got 
a  word  through  to  India,  ten  to  one  he'd  wipe  you 
oflF  the  slate  like  that  [snaffing  his  fingers]  with- 
out waiting  for  tomorrow. 

CRESPIN.  That  makes  no  difference.  We've  got  to  face 
it. 

TRAHERNE.  Come  now!  On  your  own  showing,  Mr. 
Watkins,  loyalty  to  your  master  oughtn't  to  stand 
in  your  way.  I  don't  suppose  gratitude  is  one  of 
your  weaknesses. 

WATKINS.  Gratitude!  To  'im?  What  for?  I'm  not  badly 
off  here,  to  be  sure,  but  it's  nothing  to  wot  I  does 
for  'imj  and  I  'ate  'im  for  'is  funny  little  ways. 
D'you  think  I  don't  see  that  he's  always  pulling  my 

TRAHERNE.  Well,  then,  you  won't  mind  selling  him. 
We've  only  to  settle  the  price. 


Act  III  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  73 

WATKiNS.  That's  all  very  fine,  sirj  but  what  price  'ave 
you  gents  to  offer? 

TRAHERNE.  Nothing  down — no  spot  cash — that's  clear. 
You'll  have  to  take  our  word  for  whatever  bargain 
we  come  to. 

WATKINS.  Your  word!  How  do  I  know — ? 

TRAHERNE.  Oh,  our  Written  word.  We'll  give  it  to  you 
in  writing. 

WATKINS.  [Afler  thinking  for  a  moment. \  If  I  was 
to  'elp  you  out,  there  must  be  no  more  fairy-tales 
about  any  of  you  'avin'  seen  me  in  India. 

TRAHERNE.  All  right.  We  accept  your  assurance  that 
you  never  were  there. 

WATKINS.  And  see  here.  Dr.  Traherne — you  know  very 
well  I  couldn't  stay  here  after  I'd  helped  you  to 
escape — leastways,  if  I  stayed,  it'd  be  in  my  grave. 
You'll  'ave  to  take  me  with  you — and  for  that  I 
can  only  have  your  word.  Supposing  you  could  get 
the  message  through,  and  the  English  was  to  come, 
no  writing  could  bind  you  if  you  chose  to  leave 
me  in  the  lurch. 

TRAHERNE.  Quitc  truc.  I'm  afraid  you'll  have  to  trust 
us  for  that.  But  I  give  you  my  word  of  honour  that 
we  would  be  as  careful  of  your  safety  as  if  you  were 
one  of  ourselves.  I  suppose  you  know  that,  strange 
as  you  may  think  it,  there  are  people  in  the  world 
that  would  rather  die  than  break  a  solemn  promise. 

CRESPiN.  Even  to  a  hound  like  you,  Watkins. 

WATKINS.  I  advise  you  to  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  yer 
'ead.  Major.  Don't  forget  that  I  'ave  you  in  the 
'ollow  of  my  'and. 

TRAHERNE.  Truc,  Watkinsj  and  the  hollow  of  your 
hand  is  a  very  disagreeable  place  to  be  in.  That's 


74  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

why  we're  willing  to  pay  well  to  get  out  of  it.  Come, 
now,  what  shall  we  say? 

WATKiNS.  Well,  what  about  a  little  first  instalment? 
You  ain't  quite  on  your  uppers,  are  you,  now?  You 
could  come  down  with  something,  be  it  ever  so 
humble? 

TRAHERNE.  [Examining  his  pocket-book.]  I  have  300 
rupees  and  five  ten-pound  notes.  [Places  the  money 
on  the  table.  \ 

WATKINS.  And  you.  Major? 

CRESPiN.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  rupees.  [Crosses  and 
lays  the  notes  on  the  table. \  Oh,  and  some  loose 
change. 

WATKINS.  [Nobly.]  Oh,  never  mind  the  chicken-feed! 
And  the  lady? 

LUCiLLA.  I  gave  my  last  rupee  to  your  wife,  Watkins. 

WATKINS.  Well,  that's  about  £120  to  go  on  with. 

TRAHERNE.  [Placing  his  hand  on  the  heap  of  notes.] 
There.  That's  your  first  instalment.  Now  what  about 
the  balance?  Shall  we  say  £1000  apiece? 

WATKINS.  A  thousand  apiece!  Three  thousand  pounds! 
You're  joking,  Dr.  Traherne!  Wot  would  £3000 
be  to  me  in  England?  W'y,  I'd  'ave  to  take  to  valet- 
ing again.  No,  no,  sir!  If  I'm  to  do  this  job,  I 
must  'ave  enough  to  make  a  gentleman  of  me. 

[Crespin,  Traherne  and  Lucilla  burst  out 
laughing.  ] 

WATKINS.  Well,  you  are  the  queerest  lot  as  ever  I 
come  across.  Your  lives  is  'anging  by  a  'air,  and  yet 
you  can  larf! 

lucilla.  [Hysterically.]  It's  your  own  fault,  Wat- 
kins.  Why  will  you  be  so  funny?  [Her  laughter 
turns  to  tears  and  she  buries  her  face  in  the  end  of 
the  couch y  shaken  with  sobs.] 


Act  III  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  75 

TRAHERNE.  I'm  afraid  what  you  ask  is  beyond  our 
means,  Watkins.  But  I  double  my  bid — two  thou- 
sand apiece. 

WATKINS.  You'll  'ave  to  double  it  again,  sir,  and  a 
little  more.  You  write  me  out  an  I.  O.  U.  for  fifteen 
thousand  pounds,  and  I'll  see  wot  can  be  done. 

CRESPiN.  Well,  you  are  the  most  consummate — 

WATKINS.  If  your  lives  ain't  worth  five  thousand  apiece 
to  you,  there's  nothing  doing.  For  my  place  here  is 
worth  fifteen  thousand  to  me.  And  there's  all  the 
risk,  too — I'm  not  charging  you  nothing  for  that. 

TRAHERNE.  We  appreciate  your  generosity,  Watkins. 
Fifteen  thousand  be  it ! 

WATKINS.  Now  you're  talking. 

[Traherne  rapidly  writes  and  signs  the  I. 
O.  U.  and  hands  it  to  Watkins.] 

WATKINS.  That's  right,  sirj  but  the  Major  must  sign 
it,  too. 

CRESPIN.  [Crosses  to  the  table ^  on  which  Watkins 
places  the  paper ^  writes ^  throws  down  the  pen.] 
There  you  are,  damn  you! 

TRAHERNE.  Now  get  to  work  quick,  and  call  up  Amil- 
Serai. 

WATKINS.  Right  you  are,  sir.  [Picks  up  the  envelope 
and  beginSy  in  a  leisurely  way^  unlocking  the  centre 
door.] 

CRESPIN.  Isn't  there  some  special  call  you  must  send 
out  to  get  Amil-Serai? 

WATKINS.  Oh,  yes,  sir,  I  know  it. 

[Watkins  takes  his  seat  at  the  instrument , 
with  his  back  to  the  snuggery y  and  begins  to  work 
it.] 

CRESPIN.  [Whispers.]  That's  not  a  service  call. 
[A  pause.] 


76  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

WATKINS.  Right!  Got  them,  sir.  Now  the  message. 
CRESPiN.  [As  Watkins  works  the  key^  Crespin  s-pells 
out :  ]        "The — white — goats — are — ready — for — " 
[To  Traherne.]  No,  but  the  black  sheep  is!  Come 
on! 

[Crespin  tiptoes  up  toward  Watkins  fol- 
lowed hy  Traherne.  As  he  passes  the  upper  end 
of  the  sofa  Crespin  picks  up  Lucilla^s  scarf  and 
hands  it  to  Traherne,  meanthne  producing  his 
own  handkerchief.  Lucilla  rises y  her  hand 
pressed  to  her  mouth.  The  tnen  steal  up  close 
behind  Watkins.  Suddenly  Traherne  jams  the 
gag  in  Watkins's  mouthy  and  ties  the  ends  of  the 
scarf.  Watkins  attetnpts  a  cry^  hut  it  trails  off 
into  a  gurgle.  Crespin  'meantime  grips  Wat- 
kins's  arms  behindy  and  ties  the  wrists  with  his 
handkerchief .  Traherne  makes  fast  the  gagy  and 
the  two  lift  hiniy  struggling)  and  carry  him  to- 
wards the  window.  Watkins's  head  falls  backy  and 
his  terror-stricken  eyes  can  be  seen  over  the  swath- 
ing gag.  They  rest  him  for  a  m^oment  on  the  bal- 
ustrade. ] 
traherne.  Must  we — ? 

crespin.  Nothing  else  for  it — one,  two,  three!   [They 
heave  him  over.  Lucilla,  who  has  been  watchingy 
petrified y  gives  a  gasping  cry.  ] 
crespin.  At  least  we  haven't  taken  it  lying  down!  [He 
pours  out  some  whiskey  and  is  about  to  drink  when 
he  pauscSy  puts  down  the  glasSy  and  then  cries  in  great 
excitement :\  Hold  on!   Don't  speak!    [A  Pause. \   I 
have  it!   [Another  pause. \  Yes,  by  God,  I  have  it! 
I've  remembered  the  call!  Can  you  lock  that  door,? 
LUCILLA.  [At  second  door y  left. \  No  key  this  side! 
traherne.    [Whisperingy  and  running  to  the  door.] 


Act  III  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  77 

Don't  open  it.  There  are  soldiers  in  the  passage.  I'll 
hold  it.  [He  stations  himself  before  the  door.  Cres- 
piN  rushes  to  the  instrument  and  rapidly  examines 
it.] 
CRESPiN.    The    scoundrel    had    reduced    the    current. 
[Makes  an  adjustment  with  feverish  haste.]   Now 
the  wave  length!    [More  adjustment.  He  begins  to 
transmit.  A  pause.] 
TRAHERNE.  Do  you  get  any  answer? 
CRESPIN.  No,  no  J  I  don't  expect  any — I'm  sure  they 
haven't  the  power.  But  it's  an  even  chance  that  I  get 
them  all  the  same.  [He  goes  on  transmitting  hur- 
riedly while  Traherne  and  Lucilla  stand  breath- 
less, Traherne  with  his  shoulder  to  the  door.] 
TRAHERNE.  Somc  one's  coming  up  the  passage!  Go  on! 
Go  on!  I'll  hold  the  door. 

[Another  slight  pause ^  while  Crespin  transmits 
feverishly.  Suddenly  Traherne  braces  himself 
against  the  doory  gripping  the  handle.  After  a  mo- 
m^enty  there  is  a  word  of  cotntnand  outside,  the 
sound  of  shoulders  heaved  against  the  door,  and 
it  is  gradually  pushed  open  by  three  guards.  Tra- 
herne is  shoved  back  by  its  motion.] 

[The  Raja  enters,  rushes  forward  and  grasps 
the  situation.] 
raja.  Ah !  When  the  cat's  away — 

[He  whips  out  a  revolver  and  fires.] 
CRESPIN.  Got  me,  by  God! 

[He  falls  forward  over  the  instrument,  but  im- 
mediately recovers  himself,  and  rapidly  unmakes 
the  adjustments.  Lucilla  and  Traherne  catch 
him  as  he  staggers  back  fro7n  the  instrument,  and 
lay  him  on  the  couch.] 
traherne.  [kneeling  and  supporting  him.]  Brandy! 


78  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  III 

[LuciLLA  gets  the  glass.   They  'put  it  to  his 
lips.  ] 

YThe  Raja  meanwhile  goes  to   the  wireless 
table y  sees  the  draft  message  and  reads  it.] 
RAJA.  [Holding  out  the  paper. \  How  much  of  this  did 

you  get  through? 
CRESPiN.  [Raising  himself  a  little.]  Damn  you — none! 

[Falls  back  dead.] 
LUCILLA.  [Crying  out.]  Antony! 
RAJA.  All  over,  eh? 

[Traherne,  still  kneelingy  makes  an  affirmative 
sign.  ] 

[At  this  moment  a  noise  is  heard  outside ,  and 
three  soldiers  burst  open  the  door  and  rush  in. 
One  of  them  speaks  to  the  Raja,  pointing  to  the 
window y  the  other  two  rush  up  to  Traherne,  sei-ze 
him  and  drag  hi^n  over  to  the  left.  Lucilla  re- 
mains  kneeling  by  Crespin's  body.  The  Raja  goes 
calmly  over  to  the  window  and  looks  out.] 
RAJA.    [Returning  to   centre.]    Tut   tut — most   incon- 
venient. And  foolish  on  your  part — for  now,  if  my 
brothers  should  be  reprieved,  we  cannot  hear  of  it. 
[Looks  at  the  m^essage  reflectively.]  Otherwise,  the 
situation  remains  unchanged.  We  adhere  to  our  pro- 
gramme for  tomorrow.  The  Major  has  only  a  few 
hours'  start  of  you. 


CURTAIN 


ACT  FOURTH 

A  gloomy  hally  its  roof  supported  by  four  wooden  col- 
umns, two  in  a  row,  rudely  carved  with  distorted 
animal  and  human  figures.  The  walls  are  also  of 
rudely-carved  wood,  and  are  fierced  all  round,  at 
the  height  of  about  twelve  feet,  by  a  sort  of  clere- 
story— a  series  of  oblong  slits  or  unglazed  windows 
through  which  the  sky  can  be  seen.  The  general  tone 
of  the  wood  is  dark  brown,  but  the  interstices  be- 
tween the  carvings  have  here  and  there  been  filed 
in  with  dull  red.  There  is  a  high  curtained  doorway, 
left,  leading  to  a  sort  of  rohing-room.  Opposite  to 
it,  right,  a  two-leaved  wooden  door,  closed  with  a 
heavy  wooden  bolt.  An  oblong  hole  in  the  door,  with 
a  sliding  shutter,  enables  the  guard  within  to  inspect 
whoever  approaches  from  without.  At  the  back,  cen- 
tre, is  a  wide  opening,  curtained  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Act.  When  the  curtains  are  withdrawn,  they  re- 
veal a  sort  of  balcony  or  tribune,  raised  by  two  steps 
above  the  level  of  the  hall,  over  the  balustrade  of 
which  can  be  seen  the  head  and  shoulders  of  a  colos- 
sal image  of  the  Goddess,  apparently  at  a  distance  of 
some  ffty  yards.  Between  the  two  foremost  columns, 
on  a  dais  of  two  steps,  a  wide  throne,  which  has  for 
its  backing  a  fgure  of  the  Goddess  carved  in  high  re- 
lief, amid  a  good  deal  of  barbaric  tracery.  The  fgure 
is  green,  but  there  are  touches  of  gold  in  her  crown, 
her  ornaments,  and  in  the  tracery.  A  low  brazier 
rests  on  the  ground  in  front  of  the  throne. 

79 


So  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  IV 

The  hall  is  a  sort  of  anteroom  to  the  'public  place  of 
sacrifice  without. 

hate  afternoon  light  comes  in  through  the  clerestory  on 
the  left. 

When  the  curtain  rises,  a  group  of  Priests  is  gathered 
round  the  doorway,  left,  while  the  Chief  Priest 
stands  at  the  centre,  holding  the  curtains  a  little  way 
apart  and  looking  out.  A  Priest  is  on  guard  at  the 
door,  right. 

For  a  moment  after  the  rise  of  the  curtain,  there  is  a 
regular  and  subdued  tnurmur  from,  the  crowd  with- 
out. Then  it  swells  into  a  chorus  of  execrations.  The 
Chief  Priest  gives  an  order  to  the  other  Priests, 
left,  one  of  whom  goes  off  through  the  doorway. 
The  guard  at  the  door,  right,  slips  back  the  shutter 
and  looks  out,  then  unbolts  the  door,  and  admits 
Traherne,  strapped  to  a  tnountain  chair,  and 
guarded  by  two  soldiers,  who  withdraw.  At  the  same 
time,  the  Raja,  in  splendid  Eastern  attire,  enters, 
left. 

RAJA.  Well,  Doctor,  it  doesn't  appear  that  any  "god 
from  the  machine"  is  going  to  interfere  with  our 
programme. 

TRAHERNE.  You  are  bringing  a  terrible  vengeance  upon 
yourself. 

RAJA.  Think,  my  dear  Doctor.  If,  as  the  Major  said, 
he  did  not  get  your  S.  O.  S.  through,  I  have  nothing 
to  fear.  If  he  lied,  and  d  i  d  get  it  through,  nothing 
can  ultimately  save  me,  and  I  may  as  well  be  hung  for 
a  sheep  as  for  a  lamb. 

TRAHERNE.  \Writhing  in  his  bonds. \  You  might  have 
spared  me  this! 

RAJA.  A  ritual  detail.  Doctor  j  not  quite  without  reason. 
Persons  lacking  in  self-control  might  throw  them- 


Act  IV  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  8i 

selves  to  the  ground  or  otherwise  disarrange  the  cere- 
mony. [He  sfeaks  a  wordy  and  the  hearers  fromftly 
release  Traherne,  and  carry  the  chair  out^  right. ^ 

TRAHERNE.  What  have  you  done  with  Mrs.  Crespin? 

RAJA.  Don't  be  alarmed.  She'll  be  here  in  due  time. 

TRAHERNE.  Listen  to  me,  Raja.  Do  what  you  will  with 
me,  but  let  Mrs.  Crespin  go.  Send  her  to  India  or  to 
Russia,  and  I  am  sure,  for  her  children's  sake,  she 
will  swear  to  keep  absolute  silence  as  to  her  husband's 
fate  and  mine. 

RAJA.  You  don't  believe,  then,  that  I  couldn't  save  you 
if  I  would? 

TRAHERNE.  Bclicve  it?  No! 

RAJA.  You  are  quite  right,  my  dear  Doctor.  I  am  not  a 
High  Priest  for  nothing.  I  might  work  the  oracle.  I 
might  get  a  command  from  the  Goddess  to  hurt  no 
hair  upon  your  heads. 

TRAHERNE.  Then  what  devilish  pleasure  do  you  find  in 
putting  us  to  death? 

RAJA.  Pleasure?  The  pleasure  of  a  double  vengeance. 
Vengeance  for  today — my  brothers — and  vengeance 
for  centuries  of  subjection  and  insult.  Do  you  know 
what  brought  you  here?  It  was  not  blind  chance,  any 
more  than  it  was  the  Goddess.  It  was  my  will,  my 
craving  for  revenge,  that  drew  you  here  by  a  subtle, 
irresistible  magnetism.  My  will  is  my  religion — my 
god.  And  by  that  god  I  have  sworn  that  you  shall  not 
escape  me. 

[  Yells  from  the  crowd  outside.  ] 
Ah,  they  are  bringing  Mrs.  Crespin. 

\The    Priest    unbolts    the   door,   righty   and 
LuciLLA  is  carried  in.] 

RAJA.  I  apologize,  Madam,  for  the  manners  of  my  peo- 
ple. Their  fanaticism  is  beyond  my  control. 


82  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  IV 

[He  says  a  word  to  the  bearers^  who  release  Lu- 
ciLLA.  Traherne  gives  her  his  handy  ajid  she  steps 
from  the  chair ^  which  the  bearers  rernove^  right. \ 

TRAHERNE.  How  long  have  we  left? 

RAJA.  Till  the  sun's  rim  touches  the  crest  of  the  moun- 
tain. A  blast  of  our  great  mountain  horn  will  an- 
nounce the  appointed  hour,  and  you  will  be  led  out 
to  the  sacred  enclosure.  You  saw  the  colossal  image 
of  the  Goddess  out  yonder? 

\He  points  to  the  back.  They  look  at  each  other 
in  silence.  \ 

TRAHERNE.  Will  you  grant  us  one  last  request? 

RAJA.  By  all  means,  if  it  is  in  my  power.  In  spite  of  your 
inconsiderate  action  of  yesterday — 

TRAHERNE.  I  nconsi  derate — ? 

RAJA.  Watkins,  you  know — poor  Watkins — a  great  loss 
to  me!  But  a  la  guerre  comme  a  la  guerre!  I  bear  no 
malice  for  a  fair  act  of  war.  I  am  anxious  to  show  you 
every  consideration. 

TRAHERNE.  Then  you  will  leave  us  alone  for  the  time 
that  remains  to  us. 

RAJA.  Why,  by  all  means.  And  oh,  by  the  way,  you  need 
have  no  fear  of  the — ceremony — being  protracted.  It 
will  be  brief  and — I  trust — painless.  The  High 
Church  Party  are  not  incapable  of  cruelty  j  but  I  have 
resolutely  set  my  face  against  it.  [Lucilla  has  mean- 
while stood  stonily  gazing  straight  in  front  of  her. 
The  Raja  reflects  for  a  ?nomenty  and  then  goes  up 
to  her.]  Before  I  go,  Madam,  may  I  remind  you  of 
my  offer  of  yesterday?  It  is  not  yet  too  late.  [Lu- 
cilla takes  no  notice.]  Is  it  just  to  your  children  to 
refuse?  [She  looks  at  him  stonily,  saying  nothing.  Af- 
ter a  pause.]  Immovable?  So  be  it!  [He  turns  to  go. 


Act  IV  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  83 

Ai  this  mofnent  a  great  yell  of  triumphant  hatred 
goes  wp  from  the  populace.  ] 

RAJA.  Your  husband's  body,  Madam.  They  are  laying 
it  at  the  feet  of  the  Goddess. 

LUCiLLA.  You  promised  me — 

RAJA.  That  it  should  be  burnt.  I  will  keep  my  promise. 
But  you  see  I  had  three  brothers — a  head  for  a  head. 
[//(?  goes  into  the  inner  chamber j  encircled  by 
his  Priests.  Only  the  Guard  at  the  door,  righty  re- 
mains y  half  hidden  by  the  door  jamb.] 

[LuciLLA  and  Traherne  are  left  alone.  Lu- 
ciLLA  sinks  down  upon  the  broad  base  of  the  fore- 
m^ost  pillar y  left.  ] 

LUCILLA.  So  this  is  the  end! 

TRAHERNE.  What  offer  did  that  devil  make  you? 

LUCILLA.  Oh,  I  didn't  mean  to  tell  you,  but  I  may  as 
well.  He  is  an  ingenious  tormentor.  He  ofFered  yes- 
terday to  let  me  live,  and  to  kidnap  the  children  and 
bring  them  here  to  me — you  know  on  what  terms. 

TRAHERNE.  To  bring  the  children  here? 

LUCILLA.  He  said  in  a  month  I  might  have  them  in  my 
arms.  Think  of  it!  Ronny  and  Iris  in  my  arms!  \A 
pause.  Traherne  stands  with  his  back  to  her.] 

TRAHERNE.  [In  a  low  and  unsteady  voice.]  Are  you  sure 
you  did  right  to  refuse? 

LUCILLA.  Do  you  mean — ? 

TRAHERNE.  [Louder  and  almost  harshly.]  Are  you  sure 
it  is  not  wrong  to  refuse? 

LUCILLA.  Oh,  how  can  you — ?  Right?  Wrong?  What 
are  right  and  wrong  to  me  now?  If  I  could  see  my 
children  again,  would  any  scruple  of  "right"  or 
"wrong"  make  me  shrink  from  anything  that  was 
possible?  But  this  is  so  utterly,  utterly  impossible. 


84  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  IV 

TRAHERNE.  Forgive  me.  You  know  it  would  add  an  un- 
speakable horror  to  death  if  I  had  to  leave  you  here. 
But  I  felt  I  must  ask  you  whether  you  had  fully  con- 
sidered— 

LuciLLA.  I  have  thought  of  nothing  else  through  all 
these  torturing  hours. 

TRAHERNE.  How  brave  you  are! 

LUCILLA.  Not  brave,  not  brave.  If  I  could  live,  I 
would — there,  1  confess  it!  But  I  should  die  of 
shame  and  misery,  and  leave  my  children — to  that 
man.  Or,  if  I  d  i  d  live,  what  sort  of  a  mother  should 
I  be  to  them?  They  would  be  much  better  without 
me!  Oh,  my  precious,  precious  darlings! 

[She  clasps  her  arms  across  her  breast y  and  rocks 
herself  in  agony.  A  short  silence. \ 

TRAHERNE.  [Lays  his  hand  on  her  shoulder.}  Lucilla! 

LUCILLA.  [Looking  up.}  Oh,  Basil,  say  you  think  it 
won't  be  altogether  bad  for  them!  They  will  never 
know  anything  of  their  father  now,  but  what  was 
good.  And  their  mother  will  simply  have  vanished 
into  the  skies.  They  will  think  she  has  flown  away  to 
heaven — and  who  knows  but  it  may  be  true?  There 
may  be  something  beyond  this  hell. 

TRAHERNE.  We  shall  know  soon,  Lucilla. 

LUCILLA.  But  to  go  away  and  leave  them  without  a 
word — !  Poor  little  things,  poor  little  things. 

TRAHERNE.  They  will  remember  you  as  something  very 
dear  and  beautiful.  The  very  mystery  will  be  like  a 
halo  about  you. 

LUCILLA.  Shall  I  see  them  again,  Basil?  Tell  me  that. 
[A  pause.} 

TRAHERNE.  Who  knows?  Evcn  to  comfort  you,  I 
won't  say  I  am  certain.  But  I  do  sincerely  think  you 
may. 


Act  IV  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  85 

LuciLLA.  [Smiling  woefully.']  You  think  there  is  a 
sporting  chance? 

TRAHERNE.  Morc'  than  that.  This  life  is  such  a  miracle 
— could  any  other  be  more  incredible? 

LUCILLA.  But  even  if  I  should  meet  them  in  another 
world,  they  would  not  be  m  y  Ronny  and  Iris,  but  a 
strange  man  and  a  strange  woman,  built  up  of  ex- 
periences in  which  I  had  had  no  share.  Oh,  it  was 
cunning,  cunning,  what  that  devil  said  to  me!  He 
said  "God  Himself  cannot  give  you  back  their  child- 
hood." 

TRAHERNE.  How  do  you  know  that  God  is  going  to 
take  their  childhood  from  you?  You  may  be  with 
them  this  very  night — with  them,  unseen,  but  per- 
haps not  unfelt,  all  the  days  of  their  life. 

LUCILLA.  You  are  saying  that  to  make  what  poor  An- 
tony called  a  "haze"  for  me — to  soften  the  horror  of 
darkness  that  is  waiting  for  us?  Don't  give  me 
"dope,"  Basil — I  can  face  things  without  it. 

TRAHERNE.  I  mean  every  word  of  it.  [A  'pause.']  Why 
do  you  smile? 

LUCILLA.  At  a  thought  that  came  to  me — the  thought 
of  poor  Antony  as  a  filmy,  purified  spirit.  It  seems  so 
unthinkable. 

TRAHERNE.  Why  Unthinkable?  Why  may  he  not  still 
exist,  though  he  has  left  behind  him  the  nerves,  the 
cravings,  that  tormented  him — and  you?  You  have 
often  told  me  that  there  was  something  fine  in  the 
depths  of  his  nature  j  and  you  know  how  he  showed 
it  yesterday. 

LUCILLA.  Oh,  if  I  could  only  tell  the  children  how  he 
died! 

TRAHERNE.  But  his  true  self  was  chained  to  a  machine 
that  was  hopelessly  out  of  gear.  The  chain  is  broken: 


86  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  IV 

the  machine  lies  out  there — scrapped.  Do  you  think 
that  he  was  just  that  machine,  and  nothing  else? 

LuciLLA.  I  don't  know.  I  only  feel  that  Antony  spir- 
itualized would  not  be  Antony.  And  you,  Basil — if 
Antony  leaves  his — failings,  you  must  leave  behind 
your  work.  Do  you  want  another  life  in  which  there 
is  no  work  to  be  done — no  disease  to  be  rooted  out? 
[With  a  mournful  smile. }  Don't  tell  me  you  don't 
long  to  take  your  microscope  with  you  wherever  you 
may  be  going. 

TRAHERNE.  Perhaps  there  are  microscopes  awaiting  me 
there. 

LUCILLA.  Spirit  microscopes  for  spirit  microbes?  You 
don't  believe  that,  Basil. 

TRAHERNE.  I  neither  believe  nor  disbelieve.  In  all  we 
can  say  of  another  life  we  are  like  children  blind 
from  birth,  trying  to  picture  the  form  and  colours  of 
the  rainbow. 

LUCILLA.  But  if  the  forms  and  colours  we  know  are  of 
no  use  to  us,  what  comfort  are  we  to  find  in  formless, 
colourless  possibilities?  If  we  are  freed  from  all  hu- 
man selfishness,  shall  I  love  my  children  more  than 
any  other  woman's?  Can  I  love  a  child  I  cannot 
kiss,  that  cannot  look  into  my  eyes  and  kiss  me  back 
again? 

TRAHERNE.  [Starting  up.\  Oh,  Lucilla,  don't! 

LUCILLA.  What  do  you  mean? 

TRAHERNE.  Don't  remind  me  of  all  we  are  losing!  I 
meant  to  leave  it  all  unspoken — the  thought  of  h  i  m 
lying  out  there  seemed  to  tie  my  tongue.  But  we 
have  only  one  moment  on  this  side  of  eternity.  Lu- 
cilla, shall  I  go  on? 

[After  a  ferceftible  -pause y  Lucilla  bows  her 
head.] 


Act  IV  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  87 

Do  you  think  it  is  with  a  light  heart  that  I  turn  my 
back  upon  the  life  of  earth  and  all  it  might  have 
meant  for  you  and  me — for  you  and  me,  Lucilla! 

LuciLLA.  Yes,  Basil,  for  you  and  me. 

TRAHERNE.  Rather  than  live  without  you,  I  am  glad 
to  die  w  i  t  h  youj  but  oh,  what  a  wretched  gladness 
compared  with  that  of  living  with  you  and  loving 
you!  I  wonder  if  you  guess  what  it  has  meant  to  me, 
ever  since  we  met  at  Dehra  Dun,  to  see  you  as  an- 
other man's  wife,  bound  to  him  by  ties  I  couldn't  ask 
you  to  break.  It  has  been  hell,  hell !  [Looking  uf  with 
a  mournful  smile.]  My  love  has  not  been  quite  self- 
ish, Lucilla,  since  I  can  say  I  really  do  love  your 
children,  though  I  know  they  have  stood  between  me 
and  heaven. 

LUCILLA.  Yes,  Basil,  I  know.  I  have  known  from  the 
beginning. 

TRAHERNE.  Oh,  Lucilla,  have  we  not  been  fools,  fools? 
We  have  sacrificed  to  an  idol  as  senseless  as  that — 
[with  a  gesture  towards  the  image]  all  the  glory  and 
beauty  of  life!  What  do  I  care  for  a  bloodless, 
shadowy  life — life  in  the  abstract,  with  all  the  senses 
extinct?  Is  there  not  something  in  the  depths  of 
our  heart  that  cries  out  "We  don't  want  it!  Better 
eternal  sleep!" 

LUCILLA.  Oh,  Basil — you  are  going  back  to  your  own 
wisdom. 

TRAHERNE.  Wisdom!  What  has  wisdom  to  say  to  love, 
thwarted  and  unfulfilled?  You  were  right  when  you 
said  that  it  is  a  mockery  to  speak  of  love  without 
hands  to  clasp,  without  lips  to  kiss.  We  may  be 
going  to  some  pale  parody  of  lifej  but  in  our 
cowardice  we  have  killed  love  for  ever  and  ever. 

LUCILLA.  No,  Basil,  don't  call  it  cowardice.  I,  too,  re- 


88  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  IV 

gret — perhaps  as  much  as  you — that  things  were — 
as  they  were.  But  not  even  your  love  could  have 
made  up  to  me  for  my  children. 

[A  trumfet-blast  is  heard — a  frolonged  deef, 
wailing  sound.] 
There  is  the  signal!  Good-bye,  dear  love. 

[She  holds  out  her  hands  to  him.  They  kiss 
and  stand  emhracedy  untily  at  a  sound  of  tom- 
toms and  a  low  m,uttered  chant  jroyn  behind  the 
curtains^  left,  they  fart,  and  stand  hand  in  handy 
facing  the  doorway.] 

[Suddenly y  at  a  great  shattering  note  from  a 
gongy  the  curtains  of  the  doorway  'party  and  a 
procession  of  chanting  Priests  enterSy  all  wearing 
.  fantastic  robes  and  headdresseSy  and  ally  except  the 
Chief  Priest_,  unasked.  The  Raja  follows  thefUy 
also  wearing  a  priestly  headdresSy  and  gorgeously 
robed.   Behind  him  come  three  dark-robed  and 
masked  figureSy  carrying  heavy  swords.  Musicians 
bring  up  the  rear.  The  Priests  group  themselves 
round  the  throne.] 
RAJA.   [To  Traherne  and  Lucilla,  who  are  stand- 
ing in  front  of  the  throne.]  May  I  trouble  you  to 
move  a  little  aside?    I   am,  for  the  moment,  not 
a  king,  but  a  priest,  and  must  observe  a  certain  dig- 
nity. Ridiculous,  isn't  it? 

[They  move  over  to  the  right  of  the  throne. 
He  advances  in  stately  fashion  and  seats  him- 
self on  it.] 
raja.  [To  Lucilla.]  Must  I  do  violence  to  my  feel- 
ings, Madam,  by  including  you  in  the  approaching 
ceremony?  There  is  still  time. 
[Lucilla  is  silent.] 
We  autocrats  are  badly  brought  up.  We  are  not 


Act  IV  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  89 

accustomed  to  having  our  desires,  or  even  our  whims, 
thwarted. 
TRAHERNE.   [Interrupting.^  Will  you  never  cease  tor- 
menting this  lady? 
RAJA.    [Totally    disregarding    him.]    Remember    my 
power.  I£  I  may  not  take  you  back  to  my  palace  as 
my  Queen,  I  can  send  you  back  as  my  slave. 
[A  pause.] 
Have  you  nothing  to  say? 
LuciLLA.  Nothing. 

RAJA.  I  repeat  my  offer  as  to  your  children. 
LUCILLA.  I  would  die  a  hundred  times  rather  than  see 

them  in  your  hands. 
RAJA.  Remember,  too,  that,  if  I  so  will  it,  you  cannot 
save  them  by  dying.  I  can  have  them  kidnapped 
— or — I  can  have  them  killed. 

[LuciLLA  shrieks.  Traherne,  with  a  cry  of 
'^DeviP^  makes  a  leaf  at  the  Raja's  throaty  pin- 
ning him  against  the  hack  of  the  throne.   The 
Priests  instantly  pull  Traherne  off^  pinion  hi'in^ 
and  drag  him  over  to  the  left.  They  talk  furiously 
to  each  othery  and  the  Chief  Priest  prostrates 
himself  before  the  Raja,  apparently  in  urgent 
supplication.  The  Raja,  who  is  now  to  the  left 
of  the  throne y  Lucilla  remaining  on  the  right, 
quits  them  with  some  difficulty,  and  then  turns 
to  Traherne.] 
RAJA.  Chivalrous  but  ill-advised,  Dr.  Traherne.  I  re- 
gret it,  and  so  will  you.  My  colleagues  here  insist 
that,  as  you  have  laid  impious  hands  on  the  chief  of 
their  sacred  caste,  your  death  alone  will  not  appease 
the  fury  of  the  Goddess.  They  insist  on  subjecting 
you  to   a  process  of  expiation — a  ritual   of  great 
antiquity — but — 


90  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  IV 

TRAHERNE.  You  mean  torture? 
RAJA.  Well — yes. 

[LuciLLA  rushes  forward  with  a  cry.] 
Not  you,  Madam — not  you — 
LUCILLA.  I  must  speak  to  you — speak  to  you  alone! 

Send  Dr.  Traherne  away. 
TRAHERNE.    Lucilla!     What    are    you    thinking    of! 
Lucilla — ! 

[The  Raja  motions  to  the  Priests,  who  do 
something   to   Traherne   which   causes  him   to 
crumple  up,  and  his  voice  dies  away.] 
LUCILLA.   I  beg  you — I  beg  you!    One  minute — no 
more! 

[The  Raja  looks  at  her  for  a  moment,  then 
shrugs  his  shoulders  and  gives  an  order.  Tra- 
herne is  dragged  through  the  doorway,  left.] 

[Lucilla,  in  her  desperation,  has  rushed  up 
the  steps  of  the  throne.  She  now  sinks,  exhausted, 
upon  the  end  of  the  throne  itself.] 
lucilla.  Let  him  go,  send  him  back  to   India  un- 
harmed, and — it  shall  be  as  you  wish. 
RAJA.  Soho!  You  will  do  for  your  lover — to  save  him 
a  little  additional  pain — what  you  would  not  do  to 
have  your  children  restored  to  you!  Suppose  I  agree 
— would  h  e  accept  this  sacrifice? 
LUCILLA.  No,  no,  he  wouldn't — but  he  must  have  no 
choice.  That  is  part  of  the  bargain.   Send   him — 
hound  hand  and  foot,  if  need  be — down  to  Kash- 
mir, and  put  him  over  the  frontier — 
RAJA.  You  don't  care  what  he  thinks  of  you? 
LUCILLA.  He  will  know  what  to  think. 
RAJA.  And  I  too.  Madam,  know  what  to  think.  [Kneel- 
ing with  one  knee  on  the  throne,  he  seizes  her  by 
the   slioulders  and  turns  her  face   towards   him.] 


Act  IV  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  91 

Come,  look  me  in  the  eyes  and  tell  me  that  you 
honestly  intend  to  fulfil  your  bargain!  [Her  head 
droops.]  I  knew  it!  You  are  playing  with  me!  But 
the  confiding  barbarian  is  not  so  simple  as  you 
imagine.  No  woman  has  ever  tried  to  fool  me  that 
has  not  repented  it.  You  think,  when  you  have  to 
pay  up,  you  will  fob  me  off  with  your  dead  body. 
Let  me  tell  you,  I  have  no  use  for  you  dead — I 
want  you  with  all  the  blood  in  your  veins,  with  all 
the  pride  in  that  damned  sly  brain  of  yours.  I  want 
to  make  my  plaything  of  your  beauty,  my  mockery 
of  your  pride.  I  want  to  strip  off  the  delicate  Eng- 
lish lady,  and  come  down  to  the  elemental  woman, 
the  handmaid  and  the  instrument  of  man. 
[Changing  his  tone.] 
Come  now,  I'll  make  you  a  plain  offer.  I  w  i  11  put 
Dr.  Traherne  over  the  frontier,  and,  as  they  set 
him  free,  my  people  shall  hand  him  a  letter  written 
by  you  at  my  dictation.  You  will  tell  him  that  you 
have  determined  to  accept  my  protection  and  make 
this  your  home.  Consequently  you  wish  to  have  your 
children  conveyed  to  you  here — 

LuciLLA.  Never — never — never!  I  will  make  no  bar- 
gain that  involves  my  children. 

RAJA.  You  see!  You  will  give  me  no  hostages  for  the 
fulfilment  of  your  bond.  But  a  pledge  of  your  good 
faith  I  must  have.  For  without  a  pledge.  Madam,  I 
don't  believe  in  it  one  little  bit. 

LUCILLA.  What  pledge? 

RAJA.  Only  one  is  left — Dr.  Traherne  himself.  I  may 
— though  it  will  strain  my  power  to  the  uttermost 
— save  his  life,  while  keeping  him  in  prison.  Then, 
when  you  have  fulfilled  your  bond — fulfilled  it  to 
the  uttermost,  mark  you !  — when  you  have  borne  me 


92  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  IV 

a  child — I  will  let  him  go  free.  But  the  moment 
you  attempt  to  evade  your  pledge,  by  death  or  by 
escape,  I  will  hand  him  over  to  the  priests  to  work 
their  will  with  3  and  I  will  put  no  restraint  upon 
their  savage  instincts. 
[Pause.] 
Choose,  my  dear  lady,  choose! 

[The  subdued  murtnur  of  the  crowd  below y 
which  has  been  faintly  audible  during  the  fore- 
going sceney  ceaseSy  and  in  the  silence  is  heard  a 
faint y  but  rapidly  increasingy  whirr  and  throb.] 

[LuciLLA,  who   has  been  crouching  on  the 
steps  of  the  throney  looks  up  slowly y  hope  dawn- 
ing in  her  face.  For  a  few  seconds  she  says  noth- 
ingy  waiting  to  assure  herself  that  she  can  believe 
her  ears.  Then  she  says  in  a  low  voice,  with  a  sort 
of  sob  of  relief:] 
LuciLLA.  Aeroplanes!   [She  springs  up  with  a  shriek.] 
The    aeroplanes!    Basil!    Basil!    The    aeroplanes! 
[She  rushes  out  through  the  doorway,  left,  thrust- 
ing aside  the  incoming  PriestSy  who  are  too  amazed 
to  oppose  her.] 

[The  Raja  does  not  at  first  alter  his  attitude 
but  looks  up  and  listens  intently.  The  curtains 
shutting  off  the  balcony  at  the  back  are  violently 
torn  apart  by  the  guard  outsidey  who  shout  to 
the  Raja  and  point  upward.  Sounds  of  conster- 
nation and  terror  proceed  from  the  unseen  crowd.] 
[The  Raja  goes  to  the  hack  and  looks  out.  At 
the  same  tnoment  Lucilla  and  Traherne  rush 
in  from  the  doorway ,  left.] 
lucilla.  Sec!  Sec!  They  arc  circling  lower  and  lower! 

Is  it  true,  Basil?  Arc  we  saved? 
TRAHERNE.  Ycs,  Lucilla,  wc  are  saved. 


Act  IV  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  93 

LuciLLA.  Oh,  thank  God!  thank  God!  I  shall  see  my 
babies  again! 

[She  swaysy  almost  fainting.  Traherne  sup- 
forts  her.] 
RAJA.  So  the  Major  lied  like  a  gentleman!  Good  old 
Major!  I  didn't  think  he  had  it  in  him. 

[The  Guards  call  his  attention;  he  looks  out 
from  the  balcony y  and  gives  an  order ^  then  turns 
down  again.] 

One  of  the  machines  has  landed.  An  officer  is 
coming  this  way — he  looks  a  mere  boy. 
TRAHERNE.  The  conquerors  of  the  air  have  all  been 

mere  boys. 
RAJA.  I  have  given  orders  that  he  shall  be  brought  here 
unharmed.  Perhaps  I  had  better  receive  him  with 
some  ceremony. 

\lie  goes  back  to  the  throne  and  seats  himself ^ 
cross-legged.  At  his  command  the  Priests  range 
themselves  about  him.] 
RAJA.  You  said  just  now,  Dr.  Traherne,  that  you  were 

saved.  Are  you  so  certain  of  that? 
TRAHERNE.  Certain? 

RAJA.  How  many  men  does  each  of  these  humming- 
birds carry? 
TRAHERNE.  Two  or  three,  but — 
RAJA.  I  counted  six  planes — say  at  the  outside  twenty 
men.  Even  my  toy  army  can  cope  with  that  number. 
[There   is   a   growing    clamour    outside.    The 
Raja  gives  an  order  to  the  Priest  at  the  door^ 
right.  Me  throws  it  wide  open.] 

[Flight-Lieutenant    Cardew    saunters    in, 
escorted  by  three  soldiers.] 
RAJA.  Who  are  you,  sir? 
CARDEW.   One   moment!     [Crosses  to  Lucilla,  who 


94  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  Act  IV 

holds  out  both  her  hands.  He  takes  them  cordially 
but  coolly.}  Mrs.  Crespin!  Fm  very  glad  we're  in 
time.  [Turns  to  Traherne.]  Dr.  Traherne,  I  pre- 
sume? {Shakes  hands  with  him.}  And  Major  Cres- 
pin? 

TRAHERNE.  Shot  while  transmitting  our  message. 

CARDEw.  Pm  so  sorry,  Mrs.  Crespin.  [To  Traherne.] 
By  whom?  [Traherne  indicates  the  Raja,  who  has 
meanivhile  watched  the  scene  impassively.} 

RAJA.  I  am  sorry  to  interrupt  these  effusions,  but — 

CARDEW.  Who  are  you,  sir? 

RAJA.  I  am  the  Raja  of  Rukh.  And  you? 

CARDEW.  Flight-Lieutenant  Cardew.  I  have  the  honour 
to  represent  his  Majesty,  the  King-Emperor. 

RAJA.  The  King-Emperor?  Who  is  that,  pray?  We 
live  so  out  of  the  world  here,  I  don't  seem  to  have 
heard  of  him. 

CARDEW.  You  will  in  a  minute.  Raja,  if  you  don't  in- 
stantly hand  over  his  subjects. 

RAJA,  His  subjects?  Ah,  I  see  you  mean  the  King  of 
England.  What  terms  does  his  Majesty  propose? 

CARDEW.  We  make  no  terms  with  cut-throats,  [hooks 
at  his  wrist  watch.}  If  I  do  not  signal  your  sub- 
mission within  three  minutes  of  our  landing — 

[A    bomb  is  heard  to  jail  at  some  distance. 
Great  consternation  among  the  Priests y  etc.} 

RAJA.  [IJ^i-perturbed.}  Ah!  bombs! 

CARDEW.  Precisely. 

RAJA.  I  fancied  your  Government  affected  some  scruple 
as  to  the  slaughter  of  innocent  civilians. 

CARDEW.  There  has  been  no  slaughter — as  yet.  That 
bomb  fell  in  the  ravine,  where  it  could  do  no  harm. 
So  will  the  next  one — 

[Bomb — nearer.  Increasing  hubbub  without.} 


Act  IV  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  95 

But  the  third — well  if  you're  wise  you'll  throw  up 
the  sponge,  and  there  won't  b  e  a  third. 

RAJA.  Throw  up  the  sponge,  Lieutenant — ?  I  didn't 
quite  catch  your  name? 

CARDEw.  Cardew. 

RAJA.  Ah,  yes.  Lieutenant  Cardew.  Why  on  earth 
should  I  throw  up  the  sponge?  Your  comrades  up 
yonder  can  no  doubt  massacre  quite  a  number  of  my 
subjects — a  brave  exploit! — but  when  they've  spent 
their  thunderbolts,  they'll  just  have  to  fly  away 
again — if  they  can.  A  bomb  may  drop  on  this  temple, 
you  say?  In  that  case,  you  and  your  friends  will 
escort  me — in  fragments — to  my  last  abode.  Does 
that  prospect  allure  you?  I  call  your  bluff,  Lieutenant 
Cardew. 

[A  third  bomb — very  loud.] 
[The  Priests  rush  wp  to  the  Raja,  and  jail 
before  him  in  -panic-stricken  sufplicationy  with 
voluble  remonstrances y  pointing  to  the  Idol  in  the 
background.  The  Raja  hesitates  for  a  moment^ 
then  proceeds:] 

RAJA.  My  priests,  however,  have  a  superstitious  dread 
of  these  eggs  of  the  Great  Roc.  They  fear  injury 
to  the  Sacred  Image.  For  myself,  I  am  always  averse 
from  bloodshed.  You  may,  if  you  please,  signal 
to  your  squadron  commander  my  acceptance  of  your 
terms. 

CARDEW.  I  thought  you  would  come  to  reason.  \Shak- 
ing  out  his  flag  in  preparation  for  signalling^  he 
hurries  across  to  where  the  white  beam  of  a  search- 
light is  visible  outside  the  doorway ^  right.  He  dis- 
appears for  a  moment.] 

RAJA.  This  comes  of  falling  behind  the  times.  If  I 
had  had  anti-aircraft  guns — 


96  THE   GREEN  GODDESS  Act  IV 

TRAHERNE.  Thank  your  stars  you  hadn't! 

CARDEW.  [Returning.]  All  clear  for  the  moment,  Raja. 
You  have  no  further  immediate  consequences  to 
fear. 

RAJA.  What  am  I  to  conclude  from  your  emphasis  on 
immediate? 

CARDEW.  [Afler  whispering  to  Traherne.]  I  need 
scarcely  remind  you,  sir,  that  you  can  only  hand 
over  the  b  o  d  y  of  one  of  your  prisoners. 

raja.  Major  Crespin  murdered  a  faithful  servant  of 
mine.  His  death  at  my  hands  was  a  fair  act  of  war. 

CARDEW.  His  Majesty's  Government  will  scarcely  view 
it  in  that  light. 

RAJA.  His  Majesty's  Government  has  today,  I  be- 
lieve, taken  the  lives  of  three  kinsmen  of  mine. 
Your  side  has  the  best  of  the  transaction  by  four  lives 
to  one. 

CARDEW.  [Shrugging  his  shoulders.]  Will  you  assign 
us  an  escort  through  the  crowd? 

RAJA.  Certainly.  [Gives  an  order  to  the  officer  of 
regulars^  who  hurries  outj  right.]  The  escort  will  be 
here  in  a  moment.  [To  Lucilla  and  Traherne.] 
It  only  remains  for  me  to  speed  the  parting  guest. 
I  hope  wc  may  one  day  renew  our  acquaintance — 
Oh,  not  here!  I  plainly  foresee  that  I  shall  have 
to  join  the  other  Kings  in  Exile.  Perhaps  we  may 
meet  at  Homburg  or  Monte  Carlo,  and  talk  over 
old  times.  Ah,  here  is  the  escort. 

[The  escort  has  formed  at  the  door^  right. 
Traherne,  Lucilla  and  Cardew  cross  to  it, 
the  Raja  followijig  them  up.] 

raja.  Good-bye,  dear  lady.  I  lament  the  Major's  end. 
Perhaps  I  was  hasty  j  but,  you  know,  "  'Tis  better 
to  have  loved  and  lost,"  etc.  And  oh — Mrs.  Cres- 


Act  IV  THE  GREEN  GODDESS  97 

pin!    [As  she  is  going  outy  Lucilla  looks  back  at 
him  with  horror. \  My  love  to  the  children! 

\The  Priests  and  others  are  all  clustered  on 
the  balcony y  looking  at  the  aeroplanes.  The  Raja 
turns  back  from  the  door,  lights  a  cigarette  at 
the  brazier y  takes  a  fujf,  and  says:'\ 
Well,  well — she'd  probably  have  been  a  damned 
nuisance. 


CURTAIN 


A  NOTE   ON  THE  TYPE  IN 
WHICH  THIS  BOOK  IS  SET 

The  type  in  which  this  book  has  been  set  {on  the  Lino- 
type) is  Caslon  Old  Face,  a  faithful  and  authentic  re- 
production from  the  original  patterns  of  William 
Caslon  I.  Historically  considered,  Caslon  s  old  face 
types  are  the  most  important  contribution  the  English 
speaking  world  has  ever  made  to  the  art  of  typography. 
No  other  face  has  ever  attained  to  so  lasting  and 
general  a  popularity.  Caslon's  types  were  made  to 
read.  Even  their  apparent  imperfections  contribute  to 
this  effect  being,  in  fact,  the  result  of  a  deliberate 
artistry  which  sought  above  all  else  for  legibility  in  the 
printed  page. 


SET  UP,  ELECTROTYPED,  PRINTED  AND 

BOUNDEYTHE  VAIL-BALLOU  PRESS, 

BINGHAMTON,      N.      Y.    •    ESPARTO 

PAPER        MANUFACTURED        IN 

SCOTLAND     AND     FURNISHED 

BY    W.    F.    ETHERINGTON    & 

CO.,    NEW    YORK. 


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THE 

GREEN 

GODDESS 

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iriLLUM  ARCHER 


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